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SBU | Life

You Don’t Owe the World a Constant Update

Elizabeth Lyons Student Contributor, St. Bonaventure University
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SBU chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Somewhere along the way, society decided that we, as individuals, need to share everything we do. Maybe part of it is influencer culture, or just the fact that we live in a digital world where anything can be shared in a split second, but we treat our daily lives as open tabs.

We are constantly posting, updating, and explaining every little thing that goes on. Every quiet thought or small moment feels like it should be shared or announced.

This makes life feel like it should be a string of events that are notable enough to be shared. And when you are constantly trying to capture everything, it seems as though nothing is worth posting. Like if there is no picture, no story, no post to go along with it, that moment wasn’t special enough. And it’s exhausting.

Life starts to feel dull—not because it is, but because you are living and viewing it, and asking yourself, ‘Is this interesting enough? Would someone care about this?’

There is peace in knowing that you do not have to share everything. Allowing yourself to go through the day and experience small moments without the pressure of proving that you are doing okay or working through something. It is okay to let life unfold privately. It is okay to wallow in your own life for a moment.

I will admit it is strange, though. We are so used to sharing bits and pieces of our lives every day, that the silence almost feels defiant. Or maybe keeping things to ourselves feels like we are hiding something—when in reality we are just going through the motions.

‘We do not need an audience for everything we do. You are allowed to exist without an explanation. You don’t owe anyone proof that your life is happening. There is something validating in keeping moments for yourself. Feeling joy and not needing to prove it, feeling sadness without commentary, or feeling anger without any questioning—it’s freeing, really.

We do not need an audience for everything we do. You are allowed to exist without an explanation. You don’t owe anyone proof that your life is happening. There is something validating in keeping moments for yourself. Feeling joy and not needing to prove it, feeling sadness without commentary, or feeling anger without any questioning—it’s freeing, really.

So just know, not everything has to be seen to be real. You do not owe the world a constant update, and you do not need to share your life to prove that you are living it.

Elizabeth Lyons is a new SBU Her Campus contributor from Buffalo, NY. She publishes weekly articles about anything that’s on her mind. Whether it be music, art, school, life, or family! She cannot wait to meet new people and be a part of such a supportive group!

Elizabeth is a junior at St. Bonaventure, majoring in Health Science with a biomedical concentration. Along with her campus, Elizabeth is a member of the women’s rugby team, pre-PA club, and SBU for equality!

Aside from school life Elizabeth, loves to spend time with her friends, hiking, watching movies, listening to music, and staying active. She loves the Lumineers, Pride and Prejudice (2005), and Gilmore Girls! She is super excited to begin writing for Her Campus!