I remember back when I was a brand new teacher attending one of those training sessions where they inevitably figured that if you're a teacher you must like doing skits and singing songs. (They were wrong on both accounts for me.) Sitting uncomfortably in that big cafeteria full of teachers from the experienced to the greenest of the green, the only thing I remember is the presenter picking up a bottle of dish soap and reminding each one of us, DON'T LET ANYONE STEAL YOUR JOY. Of course he didn't mean the little bottle of dish soap but his focus for the next hour was on people around you who suck the joy and meaning out of teaching (or life). That quick phrase has stuck with me for 20 years and I'm here to remind you of the same thing today.

Pick up your phone: what is your go to app? Is it Instagram? Facebook? Twitter? Pinterest? Do you love/hate every single one of them? You know when you pop on just to check to see if there is anything fun going on in your area over the weekend but instead, you find out how far behind you are falling in the parenting game, or that you have no idea how to spruce up your landscaping on a tight budget? You know the feeling, right? It's that swim through the La Brea Tar Pits that will feel warm and soft at first when you see your brother's new puppy, then suddenly you freeze and drown in a sticky suffocating hell of self-congratulatory posts. Today, my friends, I'm talking a little bit about Pinstaface syndrome. (I invented this word. Do not Google it because you are sure to get the wrong definition. Use this one that I have created for your convenience.)
Pinstaface ; [in-stuh-feys] (noun) :: A combination of Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook that takes the perfection displayed by the poster and adds the benefits of lost joy and self-depreciation. Often leads to anxiety and inferiority complexes within the readers. See related, photoshop and/or Martha Stuart.
Pinstaface syndrome is that horrid little by-product of constant connection and comparison. It's the social autobiography presented to us through the Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook platforms from the rest of the world. We get to see, judge, or praise not only the poster's life but then our own. This multi-faceted piece of angsty-guilt-ridden hell that nearly every single one of us experiences at least one while perusing other people's social media is making us hyper-critical of our own kids, homes, and ability to succeed. It is the combination pack of pride and attention that we have the opportunity to crave and deplore at the same time. Let me give you a little example after I make the disclaimer that I understand that we all like to celebrate our successes and share with the world that good things that are going on in our lives. We should celebrate those things! That being said, there is a good way and a very, very bad way to accomplish this. Here...
Celebrating success: Example 1

This is great stuff! Little Johnny sounds like he is a pretty awesome kid who is having a pretty good t-ball season. The family is having a little celebration with pizza and sharing a happy post. Some people will "like" this post because they like everything posted by this mom/dad, some will because they play on his little league team, some will because they like Pizza Hut, and others will because they are really following Johnny's success. Yeah Johnny, and yeah mom and dad for keeping it simple without coating it in #blessed syrup.
Bragging Attention Seeking Post called Success Example 2

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