“Don’t ever compare your version of real life to someone else’s controlled online content.”

Images can go a long way of conveying emotion and the worst aspect of it is when you start to compare yourself to the wrong things. From tangible to intangible, money to your waistline, cars to wristwatches, dresses to shoe collections, and career success to the size of the paycheck, are all factors in which individuals compare them negatively. This sets standards for people that are almost unattainable. In this case, social media is a form of manipulation. What you see might not be all that it appears to be and in return can trigger a sudden drop in confidence.

Photos depict every aspect of life that tells a different story. The way you depict the story is how it can affect you internally. The feeling of absence and dissatisfaction that we sense when scrolling through our newsfeed often results from comparing our true reality to our friends idealized, perfectly Instagrammed realities. The truth lies with the person posting the images, status updates, tweets, etc, of their happy moments to show that they live a fabulous life, when in truth every entity has their own underlying issues that they deal with on a daily basis.

People control what content they post showcasing the best aspects of their existence. This is created for other individuals to fantasize about a lifestyle that they wish they had. Ergo, there is no need to compare your life to some utopia world you see online. There will always be someone who is prettier, smarter, stronger, and so on more than you. This part is inevitable, but the way you handle it is what will make you more powerful.

The best way to handle any type of insecurity from comparisons are to reduce your time on social media, direct your focus on things that matter, and to re-evaluate what makes you compare yourself to others in the first place. In addition, you could try and make a list of things that you are grateful for in life and what features you have that make you feel happy about yourself. This allows you to view yourself in a positive way and to find happiness within yourself.