You're reading this article on the Internet or your iPhone. You were brought to it by a link that was posted on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Snapchat. The beauty of social media: spreading ideas and letting everyone be heard in the same mediums.

But just like anything else, there is a negative where there is a positive. And lately, I'm just seeing more of the negative when it comes to the monster of social media.

I'm that annoying girl that optimizes her social media accounts to the full. I post on my Snapchat story daily even though I still dislike the update, I'm always posting aesthetically pleasing images and Boomerangs on my Instagram stories, and I tweet and retweet nonsense day in and day out.

But then it gets ugly.

It gets ugly when you notice a friend didn't like your Instagram photo. Suddenly, the world is ending. You're wondering if there's a reason for that or if they just really missed it while scrolling their feed. But it bugs you because you think, "Well, she's on liking other people's posts, and not mine. Why? That's weird. Ummm maybe she'll like it tomorrow!!!!"

STOP.

All of this mental battling over a LIKE. On a social media account.

It's gotten to this point, and I know I'm not the only one. My community co-creator Lily wrote a fantastic article on the damaging and addictive consequences of Instagram alone:

Instagram consumed me. There was never a moment that I just sat and enjoyed something. I would always be thinking about how “this would look so cute for a photo.” I’d be reading in my bed and notice how great the lighting was and decide to make some coffee and change my clothes and take a cute layout on top of my white sheets.

This may be unthinkable for some, but not for me, and not for many young people around the world. You begin to think that eating at a nice brunch place in Scottsdale means you actually owe your followers a nice photo or Boomerang with a filter.

You want them to see what you're doing, you want them to think "Wow, she's chic and cute." Then, you obsess over how it's not the right angle or the right thing to capture, and then you obsess over which caption you'll pair it with and whether or not you should draw a fancy little doodle and then-

STOP. See? It's not worth it.

I've had moments where I genuinely, wholeheartedly feel alive and different when my phone isn't near me. I unplug and remember real life exists. The sun is shining, the wind is blowing, my dog is playing with his toy, and people are commuting to work and school. That's real life. Not the touchscreen device in front of you.

I now understand it, and I almost under-share. I'm not taking twenty photos of my food at Flower Child and ignoring the friend I'm eating lunch with in favor of it. I'm talking to my friend and making eye contact and enjoying my food.

And how about the times when life gets awkward with various plans on various days?

You and your younger sister want to go see a movie tonight, but you mentioned going to this movie with someone else a while back and you're now wondering, "Damn. They may get annoyed if they see that I saw this or did this without them. Maybe I shouldn't go."

But wait. How will he or she even know I'm currently at a Harkins with my little sister watching "Black Panther?"

Oh, yeah. I was gonna post about it, wasn't I?