Adults often like to tease the Millennials about how much easier our lives are because of the Internet, and in most ways they’re right. Honestly, if I had a dollar for every time my mother has relayed the horror story of her process of writing a research paper before Google, I would be very, very rich.
Growing up with the Internet has changed the way we access knowledge. Us Millennials use technology and the Internet with a fervor and ease that generally makes out parents’ heads spin. We can become experts in areas we were unfamiliar with five minutes prior. We also have uncanny access to our loved ones at all hours through the use of social media.
Oh, social media, our greatest love. Myspace was where it all started; creating cool backgrounds, picking just the right music to set as our profile songs, taking goofy pictures to show our friends just how “random” we were, it all came down to creating our own personal brands. As silly as it sounds that’s what we all did and are doing on a larger scale today: curating a space that expressed who we are as best as we can. Nowadays, we’ve moved on from Myspace (RIP), and have turned to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Snapchat and more. And we love them, we really, really do. Except for when we really, really don’t.
The adults are right, our lives seem a lot easier. But they are also a lot more competitive. As we get older, we realize the impact that social media has on our lives. We accept that social media platforms are no longer just a place to have fun and express ourselves in different ways; instead, they have become extensions of ourselves. In 2016 we have come to the point where we judge people based off of their comments, tweets, likes, shares, reblogs, etc. because after all, you are what you post. We are all putting our best selves out there and trying to make sure our lives are as good-looking as the next persons. But no matter how many cool pictures we take of plants or selfies at the pre-game, it seems like we are never adding up to our friends and we start to wonder why our lives are as interesting as theirs. As a result, we start to feel bad about ourselves. When we start to think like this, it’s time to put the phone down.
Here’s the world’s worst kept secret: we post the best parts of our lives online. We don’t post about our failed tests or breakups or financial woes. Our social media accounts are really just snapshots of the moments we want to remember the most, and what we want to be remembered for. Yes, your lab partner might have taken an amazing vacation to Mexico this Spring Break, and yes, she is “body goals,” but the most important thing to remember is that just because she is doing something awesome and posting about it doesn’t mean her life is perfect and that your life sucks.
So next time you’re scrolling and you see your friend’s post that makes you feel like you’re doing nothing with your life because you aren’t abroad, or at a concert, or at the party you skipped out on tonight, remember that it’s natural. But don’t ever let the FOMO ("fear of missing out," for those that are unfamiliar) stop you from sitting something out for your sanity. If you’ve had a horrible week and think that the only thing that could possibly make it better would be binge-watching "One Tree Hill" in your PJ’s, you better take off those jeans and put on Netflix. They might be having more fun than you according to their Instagram but there’s no measuring the satisfaction you feel when you know you are doing the right thing for yourself. And don’t worry; there will be plenty more Friday nights to post about, but this one’s about you.
