Instead of enjoying the place we are visiting, we are constantly checking into locations on Facebook. Instead of enjoying time with our friends, we are tagging them in our pictures. Instead of living in the moment, we are tweeting about what we are currently doing.
We live in a world where we take more time thinking of how we portray ourselves online than we do in real life. However, what we look like online is not who are we as a person. You can't measure your self-worth or popularity off of how many likes you received on a picture. While it may look good to have hundreds of likes on our posts, these numbers do not actually matter. These numbers do not follow you for the rest of your life. They will not make you into a more attractive, successful or likeable person. It's as simple as it sounds-- they are just numbers. Life is so much more than a like.
I am the first to admit that I enjoy staying connected to friends and family through social media sites. Sure, I get a sense of satisfaction if I receive a certain amount of likes on a picture (I mean, who doesn't?) I spent 10 minutes trying to find a filter for, but this does not change who I am as a person. I will be the same person regardless of the number of likes under my picture. It will not change the number of real friends I have in real life. Sometimes we need to take a step back. We need to come to a realization that while we do get this satisfaction online, do we also get it in our everyday real lives? Are you really as happy as that "candid" picture of you "laughing" looks? Your followers should not control how you feel about yourself.
At times, I can find it discouraging that we now live in a world where the number of likes on a post is determining our self-worth. Imagine if the number of likes we got on a picture was a representation of how many friends we actually have, that would be outrageous. So instead of striving to reach a number of likes or comments on a picture, we should all strive to be better people in real life. Have the traits that you look for in someone you would want to date. Be the person that you would want to be friends with. Be that good person in real life rather than online.
We need to learn how to live in the moment and enjoy spending time with people that are important to us. It's okay to share our fun memories online, but let's not dwell on how they'll look on social media. I enjoy using social media because I like to see other's accomplishments and opinions. It allows people to express themselves in a different way. I have learned that while we are sharing online for other's to see, their opinions about our posts do not change who you are. If you want to share a picture of that ice cream cone you got, go for it. If that's not your most liked picture then that is okay. You enjoyed your ice cream, and that's all that matters. The pictures that consume our timelines that we are constantly scrolling past are just bits and pieces of what we choose to share with the world. One post doesn't capture our entire life.
Instead of worrying about your next caption or if that filter makes you look good enough, live in the moment. Those followers you have now will come and go, but your memories will last you a lifetime. Life is so much more than just a like.
