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TWENTY-ONE

INSTAGRAM STORIES

The profile picture. Seems harmless. I bet as you hear me say this you just thought of your own profile picture. How long have you had it? A while? Years? Decades? Most people keep the same profile picture online for decades and as a business or marketing strategy it is king. It is always advised as it builds recognizability. Great, it will make you money and make people recognize you quicker…but think that thought for a minute. What else does that mean? Recognizability means stored memories associated with those pictures – meaning that person. Have you even thought that staring at the same profile picture of individuals over and over again over the years could strengthen the energetic cord between you?

Do you ever look at your story views and have a “feeling” when you see that someone has watched your stories? 

Why is that happening? Why are you able to evoke an emotion when you see a specific profile picture?

It is possible because your brain has merged emotions and that image together to form stored memory.

This is no different than when you see a picture of a past love and it evokes emotions of upset or tears. 

This happens to us because the brain has the ability to merge memory with emotions. The downside? The brain cannot tell the difference between the memory and the current moment; thus, the body begins to build and produce that emotion that is stored with the memory. And social platforms are really dangerous for this because the profile pictures never change. So, the repetition of that picture is strengthening and growing that cord on the daily.

The idea that our profile pictures not only connect us to our past but also shape others’ perceptions of us invites reflection. If our identities are so intertwined with how others perceive us over time, how can we truly evolve and grow if we are constantly bound to the expectations and preconceived notions of another of who we are or were?

As we continue to navigate our online existence, ask yourself how you can ensure your digital self is evolving as dynamically as your physical self?

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