How Social Media Warps Christmas and Makes Us Forget the True Meaning of the Holidays

By Peter Myers, Monday, December 15, 2014

As soon as November begins and Thanksgiving is in sight, all of us in America know that it is time for the holidays. All the businesses surrounding our everyday lives switch up to their Christmas style decorations and products. Most of these products we use to fuel us during our shopping days.

It's a wonderful time of the year that we can all enjoy. Being cozy and warm during the cold winter day. Watching movies together as a family and most of all visiting family from all over. But, it is also the time of the year when we start to use our bank accounts frequently. Sometimes we may even go as far as putting a price tag on the people we love most. This is where problems occur most, along with stress.

A time of the year when we are supposed to be most joyful, suddenly turns into a time of stress and anxiety. But, why? What makes us become so filled with anxiety?

If we all have access to Instagram and Facebook, then this is a perfect answer to this question. While social media is quite incredible and has tons of pros, it's cons during the holidays may affect more people than you think. As soon as Christmas morning hits, we are planning to post our present up with the perfect caption for our loved ones to see. This raises the stakes for our family, and puts pressure on them to buy an equal gift.

We may think this is the perfect gift for the person at the time, but also may feel it's not "news feed" worthy. This is where the problem arises.

Unfortunately, we are all imperfect humans and our gift may not always be the perfect one. The important thing is that we thought of that person and went out of our way to give them a gift. The price of the gift shouldn't be a factor, but the thought is what is most important.

Furthermore, this is a time to reflect on the things that matter most in life. Our family, loved ones, close friends, and the Lord. Never forgetting what they have done for us. Most of all, putting a smile on everyone's face while spending our time with them.