Social media doesn't just influence our shopping carts. It influences our expectations.

In Part 1 of our Social Media series, we're exploring how the content we consume every day can quietly shape the way we view our friendships, marriages, parenting, and even ourselves.

From viral relationship advice to parenting trends and endless messages about what we "should" be doing, we discuss how repeated exposure can begin to feel like absolute truth, even when it isn't.

We also dive into the growing trend of gray divorce and ask an important question: if we're constantly consuming content about relationships, boundaries, and self-worth, how do we know which beliefs are genuinely ours?

In this episode:
• How social media influences our closest relationships
• Friendship expectations in the age of viral content
• Why algorithms reinforce the same messages repeatedly
• The pressure of online parenting and relationship advice
• Understanding the rise of gray divorce
• Inspiration versus influence
• How to recognize whether your standards are truly your own

Questions we explore:
• Have you ever seen something online that changed how you viewed a relationship?
• Which accounts leave you feeling encouraged... and which leave you feeling like you're falling short?
• How do you know when you're being inspired versus subtly influenced?

Sometimes awareness is the first step. Once we recognize the influence, we get to decide what beliefs we actually want to keep.

Remember: handling it perfectly isn't about being perfect.

Check out:

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