Motivations for Sharing Yourself

Good am Global Villagers:

My heart is heavy today. I read a blog yesterday titled, Why Do People Share Private Information On Social Media? This blog stirred up several concerns for me. The blogger posed a series of questions, which were "Why do people share private information to begin with?...Is it loneliness? Is it just attention seeking?"

When I read these questions I had to stop myself from becoming judgmental towards the blogger because I understand that there was a purpose for the blog: to reach teenagers and to warn people of the consequences of engaging in unacceptable behaviors within the global village.

However, being a human services practitioner, I have worked with numerous people that are lonely due to estranged familial relationships or poor interpersonal skills based on some form of childhood trauma. For some people, social media networks have become a part of their group identity. It offers them a sense of connectivity and belongingness.

The other point I want to bring up is that we all need attention. We all seek positive reinforcement, and we all need positive affirmation. I believe to some extent each of us can be selfish. We all expect reciprocity from the relationships we are involved in. This idea is supported by Maslow's theory of human motivation. Our self-worth and self-esteem increase when we are affiliated with others.

With that being stated, I do not disagree with the blogger. It can be dangerous to share personal information, whether it is with one person or within the global village. We all take risks in sharing who we are with others. This is the reason why we must be comfortable within ourselves. Self-acceptance prevents us from being affected by others if they decide to mishandle us through judgment, criticism, or gossip.

Thus, I want to challenge you to introspectively seek within yourself and decide what you are comfortable with sharing. Ask yourself, "What have I overcome in this life? Am I ready to share that victory with others to help them overcome their struggles?" After answering these questions, and then as you feel led, share yourself with others. They need to hear your voice of triumph. Let helping others be your human motivation for sharing yourself. It is up to them how they perceive you and what they do with the information you share. Regardless of what they do, we must share ourselves anyway.

Why?

Because you were created with greatness!