How Many Likes Are You Worth?

Art by Naeemah Zaakirah

Social media (SM) is an online communication network that has taken the world by storm; it seems like it happened over night. In the world of SM, your value is determined by how many followers, likes, retweets, comments or shares you get. The more the merrier. This need to be liked on SM tends to spill over into the real world and alters many peoples reality. Unfortunately, the result has ended many relationships, including the one we have with ourselves. If any of this sounds familiar to you, you know what I'm talking about:

*posts what you think is a really good IG photo*

then you wait...

Fig. 1: Bing search

*checks phone; no likes*

maybe you'll just give it a little more time

*checks phone again; no likes*

Fig. 2: Bing search

At this point, many people will either delete the post all together or delete the post and then repost it at another time, and go through the same process all over again. But why? Why don't we just leave the post up? We liked it when we posted it, so shouldn't that be good enough? In the world of SM, it's not. When that happens, some may get all bent out of shape, start questioning life, and others go to the extreme and are willing to do anything for the likes, such as revealing their body. It's become a disease from some people and a sickness for others.

The same thing goes for those who have a business on SM. Just because people aren't liking or sharing your product doesn't mean that it doesn't have any value. The world does not begin and end on SM. Take your product to the people and sell your product. Do what you love. Support yourself and do everything you want everyone else to do and more. Tweet and retweet your own product, share your idea with the world, believe in yourself and most importantly believe in God.

It is unhealthy to allow people to take our power and control us in such a way that it get's us out of character. We should never place our value and the value of what we do in the hands of others, because we'll never find it. We should love ourselves and what God has blessed us with. God is not going to play you. He will support you and give you everything you need. He wouldn't give you a gift and just opt not to give you an instruction manual and the right tools. Just be patient and have faith in Him. Don't allow SM to take your eyes off of the One whose likes really matter, God. Follow Him and you will be 1000% okay with liking yourself.

"Whenever you feel disappointment, that is the time you must reach for The Creator to give you balance. We can never gain balance without striving for it. Struggle for balance and finally God may allow us to achieve it. [1,2]"

Photo sources:

[1] http://www.reactiongifs.us/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/cookie_monster_waiting.gif

[2] https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Waiting+gif&view=detailv2&&id=E62406BDE456CD71150BA951073837E8459F5EFD&selectedIndex=104&ccid=RfsxNeR6&simid=608038375151830109&thid=OIP.M45fb3135e47a8cf3e7e7a68ad7f7cc52o0&ajaxhist=0

Literature sources:
[1] https://twitter.com/LouisFarrakhan/status/356240536685916163

[2] https://twitter.com/LouisFarrakhan/status/150227083484872705