Happy Sunday friends! I know I have really fallen off the face of the earth recently on here. I have been busy trying to navigate adulthood. I have occupied my time with fun things like work, bills, moving to a new apartment, and a bunch of other adulty things. BUT I AM BACK BABY!

Today’s blog is about something that has really been heavy on my heart recently. I think that it has been a mixture of things I have seen in my own life, messages I have heard in church, and just something that really needs to be talked about. I am going to use this post as a little check in for my reader friends. I hope that this can help spark necessary conversations with yourself (or even with others who might need it).

We are going to talk about icons today. No, not the little emoji things that you use for shorthand communication, but human icons. I know we all have someone that popped in our mind when I typed that. For me, I would classify Julie Andrews as an Icon. Some would battle that Cher or Meryl Streep, Elvis, or Ryan Reynolds are icons. And to answer your deliberation, yes those would all classify as well.

The word “icon” has become such a pop culture term. It wouldn’t be out of the ordinary to hear it brought up in daily, casual conversation. Someone might say “her look is iconic” or when your friend is rocking a new outfit, you might hype her up saying “girl you are an icon!” I am all for the hype gals. I love when people build one another up. Yes, tell your friends they look good when they do. If your coworker gets a haircut, tell them it looks nice. These are all positives and I am here for them.

Where I am going next might seem contradictory to everything I just said, but bear with me.

It is no secret that we live in a social media driven world. It is more common for someone to find a date online than in person. We are always posting where we are, what we are wearing, what we are eating, what our workout is, or reposting something that we agree with (or don’t). The point is, we are spending so much time of our lives with our attention devoted to a screen. Now, I am not criticizing this. In fact, I am one of those people that posts when I have a yummy looking lunch, or the sunset really is just that pretty. I am online. I share my life, and I see you all sharing yours too.

But, I’d be lying if I occasionally didn’t find myself overly concerned with the facade that social media is. More and more often, I am seeing what we would classify as “icons” turn into idols. What does this mean? Hold tight, I’ll tell you. What it means is that we are beyond the positive hype realm and have entered the realm of comparison and envy. This is a line that I think needs to be talked about. Too often, I am noticing young women contorting their bodies in pictures, desperate for the most attractive version. I see people obsessing over clothes, products, or other material things. Not obsessing because they are amazing products, but because they saw Kim K or Tom Cruise endorse the product for a thick paycheck.

If we are being honest, we are perpetually seeking abstract affection, affirmation, and admiration. (Nailed that alliteration). No, seriously. Society is telling us to worship these icons. Be like them. Dress like them. Use their slang. Eat like them. Diet like them. At that point, that is not an icon. That is an idol. Idols are things, people, or thoughts you obsess over, worship, or greatly admire or revere.

Idols are not good for your soul, mental health, and sometimes even your physical health. Now, this is not a personal attack on famous people, or influencers. I follow them too. I realize they are normal people. The placement of idolatry on them is not their fault. That is a personal battle. Sure, social media enhances the intensity of that personal battle by tenfold. However, what it all comes back to is your personal beliefs. What are you buying into? What is your standard for beauty, success, or love? Is it what God tells you it is, or is it what social media tells you it is? (The right answer is not social media).

I think that our world and our young generations are in desperate need of a cleansing of the soul. What I mean by that is that we need to redefine what we are worshipping. Material things have an expiration date. At some point those designer pants will fade, that lip plumper will expire, the million dollar home will be reclaimed by the earth, and what is manmade will deteriorate. (Except for plastic – but that is a whole other issue to be talked about).

Let’s turn our icons back into role models and cease them from being set as the standard. We are all wonderfully and uniquely made. There is no mold. There is no top tier of human. There is human. Let’s remember that. This post was just as much for me as it was for you all. I too need a soul cleanse. I need to recenter what I am worshiping. There are so many amazing things we can devote our time to. To name a few, personal wellness, learning a new language, traveling to a new city, meeting new people, experiencing new cultures, catching up with old friends, journaling, or just spending time in reflection of your life.

Social media is an amazing tool. This is not an anti-social media post. You will still catch me posting my good eats and sunset pictures. However, lets go back to using it as a tool for connection and stop using it to set the societal standards. Love your faces. Stay well, and stay happy.

xoxo

Madeline