Do those 300 likes really ease the pain?
This past Sunday night, Kim Kardashian West was robbed at gunpoint at her hotel during Paris Fashion Week. Her husband, Kanye West, left halfway through his performance at the Meadows Music & Arts Festival in New York after being informed that something happened to his beloved. News outlets went crazy, scouring for every detail they could get about the incident. Only one group of individuals stayed silent about the incident: The Kardashians themselves. The family known for their extravagant use of social media decided to stay away from online posts about this incident. Not a single Kardashian or Jenner instagrammed, tweeted, or storied for days… of course, until Kylie Jenner broke the silence with a bikini pic. This entire scenario brings up an interesting question: when is it okay to post on social media and when should we skip the share?
In an age driven by social media, people often find comfort in their online environments. Your 1000+ Facebook friends and Instagram followers are a community. I’ve personally never really understood why people post on social media when they’ve lost a love one or even a pet. What comfort does someone, whom you barely know, commenting a little red heart emoji give you in your time of mourning? Do those 300 likes really ease the pain?
Now, I know this might come off insensitive of me and death is an extreme, but I, too, have considered posting on Facebook when I lost a loved one. I stopped myself though, and questioned my motives. I realized that I would rather be comforted and supported by my closer friends and family, which it seems the Kardashian-Jenner family is doing as well.
Some of Kim’s family members have started to post on certain outlets. Caitlyn Jenner posted a pic on Instagram of her daughter, publicly showing her love for Kim during this rough time. But, she was the Kardashian’s stepfather for over 20 years, so doesn’t that automatically mean that she supports Kim? Kourtney Kardashian tweeted a picture of a bible verse, which I kind of agree with more than an actual picture of Kim. It was tasteful and implicitly in support of her sister, without explicitly saying anything about the attack her sister survived.
Kim is known for her overuse of both Snapchat and Instagram. People are even blaming the incident on her excessive amount of posts and flaunting her wealth. Perhaps this unfortunate event was a wake up call for her entire family, celebrities in general, and us non-celebrities, too. Posting your entire life on social media can cause some serious consequences for you in the future. Perhaps, not as extremely as it did for Kim, but for college students, our future jobs are at stake with what we post online. I know I sound like a dad saying “be careful what you share,” but this scenario clearly demonstrates that maybe our dads know what they’re talking about. Papa, if you’re reading this just know I listen… sometimes. So next time you’re posting something on social media, just think about what you’re truly gaining from the share.