Keeping It in the Drafts: The Downside of Oversharing
As we become more connected through social media, the desire to be relatable is more significant. We want to feel included or accepted, even if we put our deepest emotions or secrets in the hands of literal strangers. Building connections with people is essential; that is an integral part of our human experience. We must be wary of who and where we decide to overshare our personal experiences.
Oversharing is often described as revealing too much information or too many details about our personal life. Something like this has happened to many of us. It could have been at a party where you hold a stranger hostage and delve into your many childhood traumas after one too many tequila red bulls. Or even vice versa with someone unintentionally trauma dumping on you. We can overshare with both friends and strangers, online or offline. However, it has become a significant issue on social media sites, mainly on apps that encourage us to reveal it all. Twitter asks us questions before a status update. TikTok has algorithms that morph communities around our different cultures and interests. TikTok has earned a relatability culture where people expose the craziest things that have happened to them.
These social media sites are all designed to invoke oversharing. We peek into other people’s lives like never before– leading to major FOMO. Seeing how other people are doing things without you can make us feel left out, like we aren't living life as we should– causing us to post to share, compare, and one-up our peers. At this point, everyone's an influencer, and it can be difficult not to expose the skeletons in that closet through a rant or moment of vulnerability. Not to mention the effect it could have on your digital footprint. You don’t want a potential employer coming across you spilling on Twitter about a wild hookup with a bouncer on Halloween. Don’t get me wrong, never be afraid to live life. Just make sure your social media doesn’t ruin it. That’s when we keep things in the draft, best friend; not everyone has to know!
There can be many reasons why people overshare. It could come from the desire to connect, loneliness, or even narcissism. But it’s not always a bad thing; it’s honestly a guilty pleasure for most of us. People make a living off Youtube vloggers, reality TV, and influencers. We all like to look into other people’s livelihoods and enjoy raw takes on mental health, sex, and trauma. Often we’ll feel validated when we share personal struggles and someone who relates reaches out. When used right, oversharing can be an essential tool to help you open up and connect with like-minded peers. Sharing mental healing struggles only to be met with support by friends and peers can be pretty therapeutic.
Finding the correct time and place to overshare and its impact on your mental health can be helpful. But the first part of achieving this is knowing when you overshare and how to reel it in. First is to take a minute before you speak and think about the effect of the information you're about to share. Would you be comfortable with your friends talking to others about this? Would you be okay with your family coming across that post? What about your boss? Also, try to stop posting in your most vulnerable states. You could say something chaotic you didn’t mean out of anger. Finding other things as outlets, like journaling and speaking to a close friend, trusted friend can help cure the need to overshare our deepest thoughts.
Strike Out,
Gael Laguerre
Boca Raton
Gael Laguerre is a content writer for Strike Magazine Boca. She’s a textbook Aquarius: super hyper-independent but also super hot. In her free time, she enjoys music festivals, writing sad poetry, and oversharing on twitter. You can reach her at lgaellynn@gmail.com.
