My experience dealing with pressure za social media
A lady scrolling through her phone.
If there's one thing I’m grateful for, is social media. I'm grateful naeza swipe to make friends online, apartment hunt, job hunt, shop or even look for a mpoa kwa dating apps.
Lakini hata with all this, there's a couple of things the social media age has robbed from a lot of Gen Zs, myself included.
The major thing we've been robbed of is the art of trusting the process which in turn affects our mental health.
How so?
I remember when I was fresh out of Campo and had just graduated. Graduation felt like such a big accomplishment and I was so proud of myself.
But then constantly I'd log into socials and see classmates or just people my age having already secured a job just a few months after graduation. I was happy for them but I felt kiwaru kiasi.
I also wanted to finally relate to the work memes I'd see them post ama the 'I hate how early I have to wake up ' that they'd constantly sprinkle in our conversations.
So I ended up applying and getting a job totally different from what I studied or what I was passionate about just so I could finally brag on socials and relate to people I was following and interacting with.
A year plus into it, I was working like my friends yes, but the job I was going to was depressing and I hated waking up kila siku to go to work.
I realised it wasn't the perfect fit for me and I finally got courage to quit and begin applying for jobs in the communication/media world, something I was really passionate about.
My older friends and relatives constantly refer to me as 'mtoi wa popcorn generation' since I always want things as fast as venye mi huswipe left on Tinder; speaking to how a lot of people my age are.
But thing is, ata ka you feel like progress yako iko slow ka zile mat mzee za Shabe, (no shade intended), bado ni progress.
So avoid comparing yourself to what you see online. Kumbuka, most us only post our good times on socials and leave out the bad.
Also, weka simu chini from time to time. Badala ya kuscroll, piga lap kwa hood ama ata Kenyatta avenue, but uchunge simu.
Fika ata Nyayo Gardens, have a nice phone chat or date with your squad ama chapa road trip ufike Lake Nakuru, Hell's Gate or anywhere you can get in touch with nature.
There’s so much to be thankful for and so much to enjoy outside social media.