Ladies would agree with me on this one…the first thing they pay attention to when you send them a “Friend Request” is your profile pic, your photos, where you work, where you hang out and who you hang out with. I said “Friend Request” because really it has to be just that.

So if you not LIVING online, you lose. Wait, no I meant, you’re safe.

Meet these 2 guys…

He’s always online updating and checking at the coolest places, he’s with his cool friends rolling in beast cars. He’s always wearing top brands, if not fake, and uploads pics every day. He gets a thousand likes, comments and shares. He’s every lady’s #MCM. Every girl would do anything to spend 5 seconds with him. He’s out there on all social platforms, sharing his personal life with everyone. He takes his female friends out just to draw enough attention from other girls that he’s preying on. He goes shopping with friends and puts everything out there. He meets with his child from his baby-mama and take pics with the kid at McD’s and it goes viral because he’s seen as the best dad on a Father’s day…its all good.

On the other side, there’s this guy…he’s hardly online. When he post, its about empowering others. He promotes “His” own company on his timeline. He doesn’t get as quite enough likes, comments and shares, he doesn’t have Instagram. The only time he shares or check-in is when he’s with his friends or partner attending seminars that’ll either empower him, his business, his relationship/marriage, his friends and those who surround him. We don’t know what he’s bought in the past six months in terms of clothing, where he sat for lunch with his partner, parents or siblings, unless it’s after a business meeting. He’s really has never been anyone’s #MCM.

The latter guy hardly puts his child as his profile pic, because he LIVES with his child! There’s no need to show off. There’s no need to brag and put it out there. He doesn’t sit at thee table, because he has created his own, his company. He makes it a point that he doesn’t only impress but positively impact his home and house first, before the streets. He has his parent’s back. His siblings know that because of him, they stand a better chance in chasing their dreams, understanding that nothing comes on the silver platter, and they also understand that their brother lives not only for himself but them too. When he points or shows someone his home, he starts by saying “This is actually how home used to look like before…”

Inspiring.

But then here’s how much difference there is between these guys. The first one addresses family, relationship and church problems online, mostly Facebook but don’t address them in person. These are platforms to promote, not SOLVE. And the majority of the people that are affected by these problems are NOT online. The children who’re affected by absent fathers, the parents whose kids turned their backs on home, and the baby-mamas that don’t speak or post all these things. Who then are we really impressing?

Oh I forgot to mention that the guy mentioned first, actually works FOR this guy. He’s employed by the guy living offline.

Writer: Mxolisi Emmanuel Tshabalala