We have become a generation who determines our self worth on the number of likes we are able to get on a picture of ourselves. Instagram was started so that people were able to share their pictures with their friends and loved ones. It now has roughly 300 million people logged on. Some of those being people who are considered "Insta-famous." They post pictures of just their everyday life (or at least what they want us to think their life looks like) and they somehow manage to get thousands of likes on every picture they post. You no longer have to be a Kardashian or make your way onto TV to be considered famous.
We look at these "Instagram-famous" people as though they are royalty. As though the fact that they somehow live such a better life just because their camera roll is full of picture-perfect moments. Our heads are buried into our phones constantly following every move and every post from people we don't even know. We try and live our lives through them as though our lives aren't worth living.
Just because you don't get 100 likes on your pictures doesn't mean you are any less than anyone else. And yes, it may be considered cool to have thousands and thousands of people following you, but what does that really get you in life? You can't put "Insta-famous" on your resume. Do you consider those people actual friends? Because to me it takes a real connection to consider someone a friend — not someone I feel the need to get super done up for and have to edit my pictures so that way they don't have to see the flaws. The best of friends are the ones who not only see but also accepts your flaws.
Instead of seeing the world as it is, we see it through the screens of our phones. If you want to take 20 pictures of your food before you eat it and keep your hair dry and picture-perfect even though you're at the pool, then be my guest. That is just not the life for me. I won't wait a second longer than I have to before I start shoveling my food in, and I've always loved just jumping right in the water.
It is up to ourselves to decide what we will do with our lives. Personally, I would much rather be out making real memories than trying to fake perfection for the camera. So you can spend your days learning how to take the perfect selfie, but you can find me at school working towards the career I want or hanging out with my friends and actually living in the moment. I may not get a thousand likes on a picture, but all I need in this world is laughter and the people I love.
So no, the amount of likes you get on a picture does not determine your self worth — you do. Go out and make some amazing memories whether you're able to capture it on camera or not. The best times are stored in your memory rather than your camera roll.
