“What’s obsessive comparison disorder, you ask? It’s the new OCD I’ve coined to describe our compulsion to constantly compare ourselves with others, producing unwanted thoughts and feelings that drive us into depression, consumption, anxiety and all around discontentment. It encourages us to stay up late on Facebook pouring through all 348 pictures of our frenemy’s my-life-is-better-than-yours album and then it sends us to bed wondering why we feel so anxious.” – Paul Angone
Kay Wills Wyma references Paul’s writing in her book, I’m Happy for You (Sort Of…Not Really). She refers to comparison as the small pox of the millennial generation.
“It’s where your expectations don’t meet your reality. You get to that point you’re going, ‘I really thought it was going to be so much better.’”
Millennials are graduating college, looking at their lives and the lives of those around them and asking ‘is this all there really is?’ As a result many 20-somethings are facing a quarter-life crisis.
This over comparison is being exacerbated by the over use and reliance on social media.
Facebook provides easy access to the highlight real of another’s life which cannot compare to the reality of your own life. This gives way to a rise in what is being called ‘Facebook depression’.
How can we combat Facebook depression?
A social media fast can be an excellent way to step away from the world of others and remind yourself how God sees you. Then turn to the truth.
“But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified.” 1 Corinthians 6:11
Remind yourself what God did to win you. He sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, to redeem those under the Law. His love isn’t swayed by how many followers you have on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. His acceptance grounds you and anchors you through every storm, every job lost, every relationship troubled, every pound gained. Compare yourself to how God sees you, and be content in His love for His child.
Key Scriptures: Jeremiah 29:11; James 3:13-16
Featured Songs: The Table by Chris Tomlin; We Fall Down by Steven Curtis Chapman; Here I Am by Jeremy Camp
