Whether it’s a group of teens, peering precariously over their aesthetic food to take Instagram worthy photos, or a health nut that actually eats fast food on the regular, to just the idea that we’re all happy and adventurous all the time, social media tends to paint an image that is often not reality. It is a fabricated, desirable lifestyle, more often than not, that we aim to portray.
I am privy to this fact, and embarrassed to admit it, but I can’t keep from mentioning my concern about what this means for our youth. I am lucky to have been brought up during a less technological time, during my most self-conscious, awkward years. If I had experienced my preteen years with Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat, I would probably not be the same person I am today.
What worries me is that social media has made it incredibly acceptable to censor your own life, and it is a confusing world to navigate. Even at twenty-two, Instagram and Facebook makes me question my own existence, wondering whether I’m having enough fun, or am doing enough outdoor activities. Why aren’t my smoothie bowls perfect? Why have I never uploaded an image of me hiking? Do I not hike enough? Am I lazy, boring, and lame? I know I’m not, but occasionally, scrolling through the “explore,” section, I wonder whether I am enjoying my own life enough.
Of course, there are pros to this concept, as it can work as a motivating factor, but what I tend to feel most is guilt. Guilt that all of these perfect people are living perfect lives, doing perfectly fun things ALL of the time it seems, while I tend to enjoy staying in and making art. I feel inclined to party more, and to buy more attractive food. I spend too much time arranging my salads, and finding attractive brick walls. I spend too much time caring about what people think, and if you knew me, that is not something you’d expect. It is also not something that I’d like to have as part of my life, and I intend, from now on, to give less power to these unrealistic cyber civilizations.
If I feel this drawn towards presenting myself attractively, despite it not being a personal belief or concern, I can’t imagine what fourteen year old girls are feeling. As an older population, as this generation of “millennials,” we hold the responsibility of informing our younger friends and family members about the light and dark of the social media world. When I was going through a rough patch a few years back, I attended a teen depression meeting at a local clinic and remembered the shock at hearing one girl admit her eating disorder relapse was “because no one liked my Facebook profile picture.”
This is an imaginary world that holds far, far too much power. Let’s make it known, for everyone affected by it or not, that social media is not a reflection of reality. It might sound simple, but it’s surprising how little that simplicity truly permeates people’s brains - especially the young, impressionable ones.
