Facebook. Instagram. Twitter. Pinterest. Snapchat. And whichever ones I am forgetting. I use many of these accounts personally for many different things. I keep up with family and friends that are all over the country, use it for ministry, and have used social media for work. It can be a wonderful thing when it's used properly. I love how easy it is to stay in touch with people through Facebook. At least that's what I primarily use for this purpose. You can talk with people and see pictures of their lives. Pretty neat right?

Nothing is perfect, so there's definitely some problems that exist today through social media. For one thing, social media makes stalking so much easier. I've heard several people say how unwise it is to put your "entire story" on Facebook. Some refuse to "check in" to their locations on Facebook. The fact that Snapchat allows you to see where your followers are at is insane as well. I turned mine off, with good reason. There are too many people out there that you just can't trust.

In terms of not trusting people, it is quite easy to get hurt online. Not everyone tells the truth and it is crazy at how easy it is to do this. I think it is wise to only friend people that you already know but even then you still have to be careful. You never know who might be at the other end on the computer.

Another huge problem with social media that I have noticed today, in particular amongst females, is the temptation of comparison. This one hits home really hard and oftentimes it is so subtle that I don't even realize I'm falling into this trap. Most people don't post about their downfalls. People aren't as willing to be transparent about things that are falling apart or the fact you might have spent 20 minutes trying to stop the tears in order to take that "pretty" picture. Heck, who knows how long it might have taken someone to take a picture of their smiling face., depending on how genuine it is.

I enjoy silly filters on Snapchat and Instagram, but I think they can play a big role in the comparison game as well. There are the ones that are silly and turn us into kittens or puppies. There's also sweethearts to use when taking pictures with your significant other.

There are also the ones that allow you to have bigger eyeliner-covered eyes and flawless skin with a golden glow. I'm definitely not trying to condemn the use of filters, because I use them as well. I think they're fun, but sometimes I wonder if they're subconsciously affecting our perception of beauty. Both guys and girls can fall into this trap, whether it be serving as a standard for what you want to look like or what you're looking for. It's easy then for girls especially to fall into the trap of comparison and see themselves as less than what God intended because their standard isn't what He intended. He created you in His image. You are beautiful no matter if you have a face full of zits or a clear complexion. There's so much more to beauty that a person's physical appearance.

Overall, I think social media is great, but there are many problems that are so easy to miss that are associated with it. Just be careful. And remember that you're beautiful.