The Strange Contradiction of Social Media - Why is it easier to scroll than to post?

Yesterday I spent twenty minutes reading other people's posts on Instagram. I laughed, I learned something new, and then I closed the app without posting the photo I'd been meaning to share for three weeks.

I genuinely value social media.

And yet, when it comes to contributing to it myself, I freeze.

It's an odd contradiction.

My work as a celebrant introduces me to some extraordinary people. I have conversations that leave me inspired. I hear stories of resilience, creativity and kindness that deserve to reach beyond the room they were told in. I come away from many days thinking, 'People would really enjoy hearing about this.'

But then I think about taking a photo.

Or recording a video.

Or writing a post.

And suddenly none of it feels good enough.

The video is awkward.

The photos aren't how I imagined them.

I don't like how I look, how I sound, or how I come across. I rewrite captions until they lose their personality altogether. More often than not, I decide it's easier not to post anything.

It's strange because I don't judge other people by those standards.

When someone shares a slightly shaky video or an imperfect photo, I don't think less of them. If anything, it feels more genuine. More human.

So why do I imagine everyone else will judge me so much more harshly?

I suspect I'm not alone in this.

Social media has given us an incredible opportunity to tell stories, build communities and share experiences we'd never otherwise encounter. I've discovered fascinating people because they simply decided to post what they were doing. I've learned from them, supported them and interacted with them, simply because of something they shared online.

I know the value of showing up.

I just struggle to be the one doing the showing.

Maybe that's because putting yourself online feels different from talking to someone in person. A conversation lasts a few minutes. A post feels permanent. It sits there, inviting opinions from people you know, people you don't know, and maybes people you haven't spoken to in years.

That can feel surprisingly vulnerable.

But I'm beginning to wonder what gets lost because of that hesitation.

How many interesting conversations never happen because someone decides not to post?

How many stories never get told because the photo wasn't quite right?

How many opportunities disappear because we wait until we're confident enough, polished enough or interesting enough?

I've realised that I'm asking my own posts to meet a standard I never expect from anyone else's. Maybe striving for perfection is costing me authenticity.

So I'm curious.

Do you ever write a post and then delete it before anyone sees it?

Do you avoid appearing in photos or videos because you don't like how you look or sound?

Do you ever feel like everyone else has worked out how to 'do' social media except you?

Or have you found a way to stop worrying about what people think?

I'd genuinely love to know.

Maybe the answer isn't becoming better at social media.

Maybe it's becoming more comfortable with being imperfect on it.

I'm not promising that tomorrow I'll suddenly become someone who posts videos every day or shares every interesting conversation I have. But maybe this is a small step towards being a little more open.

After all, if I enjoy reading other people's stories so much, somebody, somewhere, might enjoy reading mine too.

Maybe my next post won't be perfect. Maybe that's exactly the point.