Do I *Need* to Be on Social is the Wrong Question
Understanding How Social Media Fits into Our Hierarchy of Needs
You Don’t Need to Do Anything.
Nowhere on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook, BUT I can understand the confusion.
You don’t need any of these platforms to thrive or monetize. There are a bunch of people making it happen offline and without acting out of integrity on social media.
This speaks to a deeper question because when I hear, “do I need to do X?” What I hear is resistance to performing for strangers. What I hear is hesitation to exploit their memories of vulnerability.
This hustle is not for the faint of heart, but that doesn’t mean you have to compromise your boundaries to get likes.
It goes deeper, though, and you know that.
We don’t NEED to be on social media, but what if social media speaks to the level of belonging and love?
What if all those likes on social media boost our self-esteem, which speaks to the next level?
I have a complicated relationship with social media, but most of that is because I am still working on healing my relationship with myself.
When I get online, there’s a part of me that gets resentful when others are freely showing up without guilt or shame.
I don’t think it’s why I hesitate to be more visible on social, but it does give me some insights into why I judge the platform and the people who leverage it for the gains.
I don’t want to build a community because I haven’t healed the part of me that feels like I’m wanted in those communities.
I don’t nurture my connections because I haven’t healed the part of me that feels like I have worth without labor or output.
So much of my marketing approach is rooted in the ways I allow my ego to monopolize the conversations within myself.
That’s only one part of the equation. It’s not the whole piece, and it’s not enough to call my approach wrong.
It’s simply one aspect of why I am the way I am with how I do what I do.
In therapy, I was told I have a high level of self-awareness. Well, no shit. I’ve been doing this for many years, and I am good at helping others break through those blocks for themselves.
But I get stuck with my own, and I don’t give myself enough grace to be imperfect.
I love that word and was reminded why I need to lean into it when I spoke to someone who pushed against the word. It resonates with me on such a deep level because it allows me to reclaim myself by honoring the blemishes that make me cute, quirky, and savvy as f*ck.
Do you need to be on TikTok dancing around your incubated infant (yes, I saw that video)?
Do you need to get on IG stories recanting every little detail of your day?
Do you need to create stylish graphics for your feed?
Do you need to take a stance and fight with trolls on Twitter?
Do you need to create an online community?
Do you need to offer a free webinar?
Do you need a 25-step lead magnet with advanced customizations and segments that correspond with open and click-through rates?
Yes and no.
Or no and yes.
Do you boo.
You only have to do whatever helps you feel like your needs are being met.
If getting likes and followers on social helps you feel worthy as a person, then don’t camouflage it and say it’s a business strategy.
No…it’s a YOU strategy. Own it.
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be liked.
I just wished you could feel the love without being at the mercy of an algorithm.