From secretly making a MySpace account in my basement to faithfully checking and updating four different social media accounts, I have had some form of social media at all times for the past ten years. Being a millennial, it is assumed by basically everyone that I'm a social media fiend who spends all of my time carefully editing my Instagram pictures. I hate to admit it, but sometimes that actually describes me. I find myself constantly checking some form of social media. Whether it be out of boredom or curiosity, I can't help but open up Instagram and see Kylie Jenner's latest outfit.
Being a nineteen-year-old in today's society, I am surrounded by a stigma of social media. And while this should be a source of pleasure and happiness for people of all ages, a lot of people (specifically millennials) feel like their social status is dependent on their social media. I used to be one of these people, and I still see glimpses of this in myself to this day.
I used to envy girls who get triple digit likes on their Instagram posts. I used to feel insecure when I post a selfie and only get 40 likes. I used to pay more attention to other girls' Twitter feeds than my own. I used to question why his Facebook status got 100 likes, while mine only got 10. Social media truly made me feel bad about myself and bought out insecurities I didn't know I had.
I love editing pictures. Messing around with the exposure and the blur factor is a way I can express my creativity and make my pictures look perfect. The gratification of opening my Instagram app and seeing 30 new likes always boosts my confidence. I feel pride when I write a clever or witty caption under my picture.
Do you see the disconnect?
The very same things I love about social media are the things I hate about it. I love when I get 80 likes on my picture, but hate it when someone else gets 180. I love writing a quintessential caption on my picture, but get jealous when I see an even better one. I love uploading a new selfie, but feel less beautiful when I see another girl upload a "prettier" one. Social media simultaneously boosts and tears down my self-esteem.
It was only recently that I had an epiphany. Social media was hogging so much of my attention that I was missing things happening around me. I walked into a railing at the train station because I was too busy scrolling through my Instagram feed. I missed out on enjoying my favorite song at a concert because I was desperately trying to capture the perfect ten seconds on snapchat. I realized that rather than living my life, I was hiding behind the glass screen of my smartphone.
Believe it or not, there is much more to life than social media. Offering my seat on the subway to an elder is way better than being sucked into my phone and never noticing them. Enjoying a beautiful summer day is better than putting a picture of the sky on snapchat. Watching a concert in person is a million times better than watching it through a camera lens.
Social media was intended to be a means of connecting with friends and expressing creativity. Its purpose is not to prove your popularity or slash your self-esteem. It was created to enhance your life, not to control it. I encourage you to go a week without social media. It will (hopefully) refresh your mind and show you that there is more to life than likes and followers. Enjoy your Instagram account and your Twitter feed, but don't let it take over your life or make you feel bad about yourself.
Living life in the moment is more crucial to your happiness than the amount of likes you get, and your value cannot be measured in followers.
