Joanna Gaines Opens Up About How Social Media Started Robbing Her Joy
February 01, 2019

Do all those picture perfect moments on social media ever leave you feeling like your own life isn't good enough? Well, you're not alone. Joanna Gaines talks social media in the Spring 2019 issue of The Magnolia Journal. And she admits to battling the same feelings of insecurity as the rest of us!
Social media can be a great way to keep up with friends and family. But you have to be careful. It can also start to impact your real life in some not-so-healthy ways. And that's true for all of us, even former "Fixer Upper" star Joanna Gaines.
RELATED: Joanna Gaines’ Daughter Reminds Her What Childlike Faith Looks Like
Before HGTV launched Chip and Joanna Gaines into the spotlight, Joanna didn't put much thought into her social media presence.
"It wasn't so very long ago that I had only a handful of followers on Instagram," Joanna recalled in The Magnolia Journal. "There wasn't any pressure to post anything at all, so whenever I did, it didn't really cross my mind whether or not people would 'like' it."
But after hitting official "celeb" status, suddenly Joanna's posts were under a new level of scrutiny. She now has millions of followers. So even the most innocent post can sometimes bring an unexpected onslaught of criticism. Like the time a simple photo of Baby Crew at the doctor brought on a huge vaccination debate (read about it HERE).
Suddenly, Joanna found herself becoming more preoccupied with what and how to post on social media.
"I could feel insecurity start to creep in, and posting a photo was no longer an act of enjoying the in-the-moments of life but rather a more calculated decision," she said. "With every picture I found myself critiquing if there were messy backgrounds or blurry smiles."
Joanna Gaines Talks Social Media Pressures
Joanna Gaines is mom to five children: three boys -- Drake (13), Duke (9), and Crew (7 months) -- and two daughters -- Emmie (8) and Ella (12). And like most moms, she likes to capture those special family moments on camera and sometimes share them online.
But she started to realize the pressure of trying to be "perfect" on social media was beginning to steal her joy.
"I think this is how we can end up losing sight of what is worthy of sharing and what is even more worthy than that — moments worth simply experiencing," Joanna said. "Eventually, I realized that I was letting this small square on my phone become yet another thing to perfect."
View this post on Instagram
That's when Joanna took a step back. And when she did, the down-to-earth mom recognized the truth.
"It is so easy to let social media rob us of authentic moments," Joanna Gaines said. "And what happens when we don't think our 'real life' looks as good as someone else's? We make adjustments — find better lighting, dress our kids in something nicer, place a vase of fresh flowers in the background, or add the perfect filter."
Once Joanna realized what a negative distraction social media was becoming, she set limits for herself.
"[I am] mindful of when the red flags of comparison or anxiety begin to move in," she said. "They kindly remind me that something in my own heart or mind is a bit out of sorts. My best next step is to stop scrolling and put my phone away."
Joanna Gaines Says The World Need YOU
That kind of self-regulation isn't always easy. But it's crucial to finding peace and not getting too caught up in this world.
"I'm a firm believer that how we spend our minutes can become the way we spend our life," Joanna wrote in The Magnolia Journal.
That doesn't mean Joanna has stopped snapping photos of her precious family. Or sharing them for that matter. In fact, she admits her camera roll is still chocked full of photos of her kids and daily life.
But now, she's careful to be present in the moment rather than to get caught up in staging the perfect picture. Maybe it makes it to social media, maybe it doesn't.
As Joanna Gaines talks social media, she makes some great points that remind us of what really matters. Sometimes, as we scroll through our news feed, we can't help but play the comparison game.
But what we're seeing on social media is highlight reels. They are the selected "best" moments, with careful edits and filters to make them even better. That's not reality.
You can spend all your time worrying about appearances, trying to get things "just right." But that's not the life God designed for us. He made you to be you.
And as Joanna Gaines points out, both on the cover of The Magnolia Journal Spring 2019 issue and in the Magnolia Market decor, "The world needs who you were made to be."
Important Reminder As Joanna Gaines Talks Social Media
View this post on Instagram
h/t: Fox News
Featured Image Credit: Instagram/Joanna Gaines
Chip And Joanna Gaines Stories You Don’t Want To Miss
If you’re anything like us, you can’t ever get enough of Chip and Jo. So, here are some other great stories about this amazing couple!
Fixer Upper Star Chip Gaines Offers Life Advice That's Hilariously Spot On
Joanna Gaines Decorates For Christmas And It’s Breathtaking
Chip And Joanna Gaines Announce Their Return To TV On Jimmy Fallon
Another Baby For Chip And Joanna Gaines? Don’t Rule It Out Just Yet
Chip & Jo 2.0: Toddlers Dress Up As Chip And Joanna Gaines For Halloween
Local Pastor Gets Unexpected Call From Chip Gaines And It Changed Everything
Chip & Joanna Gaines Help Desperate Couple Bring Home 2-Year-Old Son
Joanna Gaines Slammed By Outraged Fans Over Photo Of Baby Crew At The Doctor
Joanna Gaines Opens Up About The Gift Of Her Unexpected Pregnancy
Chip Gaines Posted 1 Photo And Unexpectedly Started An Uproar
Chip And Joanna Gaines Say Hello To Their Newborn Son, Crew Gaines
How Billy Graham Helped Chip And Joanna Find The Secret To Success
Chip And Joanna Gaines Rebuild Home For Elderly Hurricane Victim
Fixer Upper Widow Finds New Love In The Most Unexpected Way
Chip Gaines On Why He Brings His Kids Along To ‘Risky’ Construction Sites
Chip & Joanna Gaines’ Incredible Response To Writer Criticizing Their Parenting
Fixer Upper Star Joanna Gaines Sets The Record Straight About Rumors
Chip And Joanna Gaines News: Their New Restaurant And A Proposal
4 Things We Can Learn About Marriage From Chip And Joanna Gaines
Why Joanna Gaines Refused To Upgrade Her Engagement Ring
HGTV Sweetheart, Joanna Gaines, Shares Her Testimony
Chip and Joanna Gaines Hilarious Fixer Upper Outtakes
19 Things You Didn’t Know About HGTV’s Chip And Joanna Gaines
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for Repentance - Your Daily Prayer - May 18
Reading the Psalms profoundly transforms our faith by teaching us to bring every part of our heart to God, offering comfort, conviction, and a deeper understanding of His love and guidance through His Word.
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for Repentance - Your Daily Prayer - May 18
Reading the Psalms profoundly transforms our faith by teaching us to bring every part of our heart to God, offering comfort, conviction, and a deeper understanding of His love and guidance through His Word.
Past Stories
- Brothers Discover 1976 Message in a Bottle, Then Find the Man Who Wrote It
- California High School Discovers They Have 14 Sets of Twins in Their Graduating Class
- Paralyzed Pup Tyrion Finds New Life With a Doggie Wheelchair
- Autistic 8-Year-Old Boy Goes Missing, Found by Water Thanks to Quick Response
- Two Nurses Come to the Rescue of a Teen Girl in the Process of Being Kidnapped
- She Hired a Private Detective and Found the Sisters She Never Knew She Had
- Brave Man Jumps Into Water to Save Woman After She Was Attacked By Bull Shark
- She Was Going to Miss Prom After Breaking Her Back at a Trampoline Park, the Hospital Had Other Plans
- Mom Finds Hope After Tragedy, Hears Her Daughter’s Heartbeat in a Child Who Got a Second Chance
- 90-Year-Old Cancer Survivor Has Saved Over 10,000 Animals, and She’s Still Not Slowing Down
- First Responders Rescue 9-Month-Old From House Fire By Going Through Window
- Playful Black Bear Climbs Playground and Rides the Slide, Just Like a Kid
- Singer Michael Bolton Opens Up About His Aggressive Brain Cancer Diagnosis
- Brave 5-Year-Old Climbs 35 Feet Up a Tree, Firefighters Rush to the Rescue
- Woman Finds Her Father After Almost 28 Years — And Learns the Truth About Why He Left
- Woman Saves Her Late Son’s Best Friend’s Mom With a Life-Changing Donation
- An Indie Bookstore Asked for Help, What Happened Next Will Warm Your Heart
- From Teen Sweethearts to 80 Years of Marriage: ‘God Was So Good to Give Him to Me’
- WWII Veteran Celebrates His 101st Birthday and 75 Years of Marriage to His Loving Wife
- 88-Year-Old Korean War Veteran and Great-Grandfather Graduates From College
- One Year After Losing Boys in a Fire, Parents Find Light in the Form of a Beautiful Blessing
- They Dress Up As Disney Princesses to Bring Joy and Hope to Sick Children, and it's Amazing
- This Couple Parents Triplets and Foster Sons from Wheelchairs, and It’ll Leave You Inspired
- Two-Year-Old is Found By Rancher's Dog After Walking 7 Miles From Home
- Couple Reunites 15-Year-Old Blind Dog With Owners After Finding Her in the Wilderness
- He Saved Her Life in a Pool Accident Five Years Ago, Now They Are Engaged
- Actress Chrissy Metz Left Hollywood For Nashville and She Couldn't Be Happier
- Stranger Helps 81-Year-Old Waitress Who Couldn't Afford to Retire, Now Her Prayers Have Been Answered
- 49-Year-Old Melanie Barratt Becomes First Blind Woman to Swim the English Channel
- 9-Year-Old Boy Remembered By Teacher and Community After Being Swept Away By Flood Waters
- 16-Year-Old Heard a Family's Cries and Saved Them From a House Fire
- Family Grows From 4 to 8 Overnight After Welcoming Identical Quadruplet Daughters
- Little Girl With Autism Reminds Others of Snow White and Her Connection to Animals
- Candace Cameron Bure Shares Fantastic News That Former Co-star, Dave Coulier, is Cancer-Free
- Soldier is Reunited With the Dog She Served With While Deployed
- Her Grandfather Kept a Log of Every Memory He Had With Her Grandmother, and It's Precious
- This 30-Year-Old Feline Might Just Be the World's Oldest Cat
- Special Messages About Love From Kindergarten Class Displayed at Teacher's Wedding
- A Sneaky Brown Tree Snake Slithers Into An Oven in Australia, and Luckily Doesn't Get Cooked
- Florida Man Meets the Son Who Had Been Searching For Him For Almost 40 Years
- Four-Year-Old Sends Out a Message in a Bottle, Receives Reply Less Than Two Weeks Later
- Delivery Driver Saves Woman's Life After Double Checking When Something Didn't Seem Right
- Woman in Heels Stops Robbery at Convenience Store With Her Impressive Martial Arts Skills
- Man That Survived More Than 90 Days at Sea Thought About His Mother Every Single Day
- Quick Thinking 9-Year-Old Saves Choking Friend During Snack Time Emergency
- Video Store Owner Creates 'Christina's Corner' For a Long-Time Customer
- Texas Man Gets Married in the Hospital After Kidney Transplant
- A Bride to Be and Her Best Friend Have Plane to Themselves and Enjoy Every Minute of it
- Dogs Come to School to Help Comfort Young Students Affected by the Eaton Fire
- Toddler Braves the Dark to Save His Great-Grandma
Top Artists
Top Music Videos

Danny Gokey Danny Gokey's Powerful 'Open Up The Gates' Lyric Video

Oak Ridge Boys 'Jesus Is Coming Soon' The Oak Ridge Boys

Alabama Live Performance of 'Because He Lives' by Alabama

Oak Ridge Boys 'Because He Lives' Classic Performance From The Oak Ridge Boys

Colton Dixon 'The Other Side' - Colton Dixon Song For Lost Loved Ones
Blog
At GodTube, you’ll find daily inspirational videos to lift your spirits and encourage you in your walk with God. Popular videos include worship music from your favorite Christian artists, cute videos with adorable kids and animals, hilarious videos from Christian comedians, user-uploaded videos, and clean viral videos to brighten your day.