I’ve never been bothered by the social media bragging problem that many of my friends complain about. I suppose it’s possible that my social media circles are so lame that no one I know ever has any upsettingly good news to share. But more likely, I am simply not noticing the incessant boasting that torments them.
I suffer some social blindness, often not reading the mouse-over, alt-text underneath many social interactions. Maybe the reality is that my social media “friends,” are constantly pissing on me with their marvelous achievements, but I’m just seeing it as people sharing good news.
I mean, for fuck’s sack, people I follow have shared horrible stories about cancer and sickness online. Friends have posted about their own demise up until the day they eventually died. Were they actually bragging about how much worse they have it than me?
Sometimes people just post their tostadas. Or a picture of their cat doing nothing at all incredible, which is completely unlike what I’ve come to expect from cats. It’s kind of dull, really. If I wanted to see a mediocre life in the throes of nothing happening, I’d just look in a mirror.
I want news, good or bad. I want some reason for a post. And, while I very much appreciate people bravely posting their struggles and vulnerabilities, I also enjoy when the news is good, since that’s more fun. But if it’s good, is it bragging?
Are all these people massaging their broken egos while I’m foolishly sending them hearts like a patsy? Maybe other people’s good news should upset me, especially if my news isn’t as good. But, even if people are bragging, isn’t that kind of an obvious and forgivable show of insecurity to which a lot of us sometimes fall prey?
Could it possibly be that I am so well adjusted and healthy that other people’s good news doesn’t bug me? I find that notion extremely hard to believe since I’m such a mess is so many ways.
Now that I think of it, if I am particularly healthy in this one corner of my psyche, I suppose this could be me bragging about it right now. That would be ironic, huh? You know, unlike rain on your wedding day, or a free ride when you’ve already bought a ticket.
Now I’m starting to wonder if, all this time, my friends have been trying to tell me that I’m the braggart.
Oh, shit.
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Comics by David Milgrim
Just trying to feel okay, one comic at a time
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