How much influence do celebrities and Instagram influencers really have over us?

We can spend ages looking at their pictures on Instagram, watching their Instagram stories or youtube videos, and fantasize over the kind of life we could never dream of having. Instead of doing something productive such as cleaning my room or reading a book that could change my life, I'll open up my apps and can literally spend hours just scrolling through the many pictures of people I don't even know.

What is that all about? Not to mention what it does to your psyche because of the pressing matter of comparing ourselves to what we deem "perfect" people. I've fallen into the cycle of comparing myself to these influencers for a myriad of reasons, comparing where they are in their lives in comparison to mine, and trust me guys, it is not healthy to do this. You've got to understand that there are people in life just luckier than you are and that is ok. There will always be someone richer, prettier, more successful than you and you've got to recognize that and not get bummed down. And maybe you need to step away from Instagram, Snapchat, or Youtube to get a better perspective for yourself.

The question is, why do we do this to ourselves? Is it because of boredom and the constant need to be plugged in to something or is it another issue that we sweep over the rug? The issue of being so addicted to our phones and social media that we gravitate to it even when we were just on it an hour ago. Please be aware, I'm not saying that all social media is bad and we should stay away from it but why don't we practice the art of leaving our phones alone for a bit. The more addicted and reliant we become of our phones, the less time we have to grow as people.

And the last thing we need right now is stunted growth because you are not taking the time to work on yourself.

So how about the next time you feel bored and start to reach for your phone, take a second to stop and really ask yourself, "Do I need to be on this phone at this very moment?" If not, then take that time of boredom to learn something new. Read that book that has been on your to-read list for years (if you don't want to buy it check it out from the library which is always free), play boardgames with family or friends, or take that time to decompress and write down things you want to achieve in life.