Did my friend like my post?

I have been seeing a trending reel that says ldquoEveryone loves an influencer till their friend is trying to be onerdquo Could that be true Do we not enjoy it when our friends put out their talents achievements or their supposedly exciting lives on social mediaDo we resent them giving their opinion on controversial issues as if they are experts Do we find it cringeworthy that they share their vacation photographs as if they are celebritiesFor me even as I gather more followers and have them share my opinions and sometimes even seek them out seeing that ldquoheartrdquo or comment or share by a family member friend or colleague means a lotAnd I notice it when people I care about donrsquot like my posts or share them or even mention them to me when they meet me And though it makes me uncomfortable I am curious to know what the other thinks especially because I have lost friends who think I am ldquoextrardquo thanks to my social media postsWhen I started reading up a few reasons popped up thanks to opinion pieces like mine and Reddit threads Sometimes people feel that their friends are different online and offline and that creates a rift Some friends have a problem if they are ldquousedrdquo as content Some feel that everything their influencer friend does seems like a performance Some find it fakeAll valid reasons And as I write them out I wonder whatrsquos the solution to this dilemma On the one hand a creator or influencer feels slighted and upset that the people in their life donrsquot validate or support them On the other hand we have a friend or colleague or family member who just canrsquot get on board with this very public selfimportant individualMaybe if we communicated it would all be simpler Maybe if we asked ourselves honestly why it bothered us when our friends posted we would come up with an honest answer Maybe if we realised that we didnrsquot need validation from anyone other than ourselves we would be happier Maybe if we realised that giving support and ldquolikesrdquo to our friends wonrsquot make them more obnoxious but would help them feel appreciated we would be more generous Maybe we influencer or the noninfluencer friend all need to just stop overthinking the likes and the heartsWe should listen to Lele Pons VenezuelanAmerican artist and social media creator who said in an interview ldquoThe best advice for anyone trying to grow on social media is to be real and to be consistent People will connect more with you if you stay true to yourself and who you are Just have fun with it and donrsquot be afraid to take risksrdquo If you are a creator like me keep doing what you are Just be as authentic as you can and let your true supporters find you And if you are on the other side the one scrolling the one holding all the power be honest with your friends if they cross a line But know that sometimes they who put themselves out every day need your support the most We are all humans at the end of itSee you next weekRanting and raving about all thatrsquos trending on social media Aastha Atray Banan is an author creator podcaster and the Editor of your favourite weekend read Sunday middayShe posts at aasthaatray on Instagram Send your feedback to mailbagmiddaycomThe views expressed in this column are the individualrsquos and donrsquot represent those of the paper