Social media is a big part of our lives today. When we're bored, we simply go on our phones and use Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. While social media is a great way to connect with people who live far away, there is also a certain danger to it.
People often use social media to brag about themselves and show how awesome their lives are and how happy they are. Girls spend minutes, and maybe even hours, trying to come up with the perfect Instagram caption. We spend time picking out which filter we look best in, and edit pictures we post. We keep track of how many likes a picture got, because it makes us feel good and somehow gives us a sense of self-worth and affirmation. We make sure to take lots of pictures and post them after. Taking pictures and posting them isn't a bad thing, but can be done for the wrong reasons. It can also, in turn, make you feel bad about your life or self by seeing others' posts.
You might start comparing your life to someone else's on social media. You could see someone's Instagram or Facebook profile and see how "awesome" their life is and how much fun they're having, which could make you feel lousy. You might start to think that your life is boring. But at the same time, their life might not be as it looks on their profile. They could be going through a tough time, but want everyone else to think that they're doing great. They don't want to show their real life, but what they want others to see. It's all about what other people think of us.
Another way you might compare your life to someone else's is if you see one of your friends looking really pretty, and then feel insecure because you don't think you're as pretty (or handsome) as they are. You start comparing your looks, when that isn't something you should be comparing to your friend. In this way, social media can make you feel insecure about yourself.
Social media can also often make us feel excluded. If you see your friend's snapchat story of her at a party or hanging out with friends, you wonder why you weren't invited and may even begin to question your friendship with this person. Even if it isn't someone that you're particularly close to, it can still hurt because you see someone having fun while you're sitting bored at home. Besides, social media is the one thing that we do when we're bored.
So as you can see, there are dangers to social media that are often overlooked and not talked about. It's important to be aware of them and how social media affects us in a deeper way. So next time you're on social media, try and not make a big deal of what filter you use, or what caption you post. Just post it for the memories and friends. And try not to compare your life to someone else's based on their social media account.
