Caught in the Feed

Heather sat cross-legged on her couch, scrolling through her phone. The blue light glared in the dim room as she looked at images of her friends laughing together. A knot twisted in her stomach. The more she scrolled, the more she felt left out. She had just returned from a hard day at work. Her mind was shouting, “Join in! Post something funny!” But the truth was, she felt lonely. There was a little voice in her head reminding her that she didn’t need likes or comments to matter. Yet, the fear of missing out was overwhelming. She thought about how nice it would be to share a perfect dinner picture, a quote that made her sound wise, something that would show everyone, including herself, that she was happy. Heather paused, her thumb hovering over the screen. She knew she could just post a fun photo of her cat, something that would get her quick likes. It felt safe, but hollow. She could also post a bold status, some deep reflection about her faith. But what if that made people uncomfortable? It was hard to know what really honored God versus what just made her look good. With her heart pounding, she took a deep breath.