Engaged? Like.
Another engagement? Like.
Pregnant? Oh, how nice. Like.
Oh look! Someone else is engaged! *rolls eyes* Like.
Someone doing things 11 zillion times cooler than me?? Like.
Those were a few examples of me going through my Facebook news feed and Instagram news feed for the past few months.
While my social media has helped me to connect with other people, it has created a disconnect within myself. It is so easy to compare my everyday life to someone else’s 15 minutes of fame and wonder what I am doing wrong.
It seems as though everyone that I know is smoothly gliding through their lives without a hitch. Exciting internships are lining up, cozy apartments are being decorated and newly engaged couples are planning to spend the rest of their lives in eternal bliss, while I am sitting on my couch in my PJs eating Captain Crunch straight from the box.
While social media is an amazing tool to be used, it can be dangerous if not handled properly. It allows you a small window into your friends’ best moments. Of course people are going to post the best moments of their day! No one is going to post the argument they had with their significant other (except maybe that couple, you know what I’m talking about), no one is going to post about how they burnt dinner or whatever else can possibly go wrong in 24 hours.
Our world is run by the number of followers you have and the number of likes on your photos. Since when did it become so crucial for me to feel like I matter based on the number of people that like my photo? I post a photo then refresh and refresh and refresh to see if anyone new has liked or commented on it.
I find that a root of jealousy has taken form in my heart for the people who seem to have a more exciting life than I do. If you can sarcastically “like” something, believe me, I nail it every day. There is no reason for this and it is completely selfish and wrong for me to act this way. The person may be nothing but kind to me, but jealousy decides to take over and I stalk her and wonder if she ever had an awkward stage and feel joy when I find that picture from 7th grade of her that isn’t so flattering. I’m not proud of this, I promise.
I have asked God to remove this jealousy, and He is, slowly. I have found myself being genuinely happy for people. I have begun to realize that my time will come when I get to share my photo with a significant ring on my left hand. Until that time comes, I will wait patiently and rejoice with others.
It’s not always easy, and I still "saltily" scroll, but I have learned to focus on the best parts of my day. I have noticed that the most memorable moments in life are not usually shared with a few thousand other people, but instead shared with a few close friends.
Enjoy YOUR life!
