I have never made a Tinder. I deleted my Twitter and Snapchat accounts. I have a Facebook and an Instagram. While I do use social media and believe that it is a powerful tool to convey messages, promote products, share stories, etc., I also know that it is not at all telling the truth.
You might be a bit confused because you are most likely reading this article that you found on social media. Beyond that, this article, like many others, is stating facts and opinions that are not lies. When I say that social media isn't truthful, I don't mean that everything posted online is a lie (although, some is, so be sure to check your source!). What I actually mean is that everything people post does not necessarily portray the truth.
What I am referring to are those people you follow on social media who seem like they have a perfect and glamorous life. They look beautiful in every photo, they are checking into magnificent places, and doing incredible things. They are always surrounded by amazing people. Everyone is glowing and looks happy and flawless. Their captions are perfect, and you cannot help but like and/or favorite everything they post. Honestly, every time you see something that they post, you feel envious of their life and are a little less gracious and more critical of your own.
While these people appear perfect online, the reality is that no one actually lives this perfect life they are posting. In truth, they are posting the absolute best few moments of their day. And while these moments are beautiful and amazing, it is important to remember that these people also have days when they are dead tired and it seems like everything is going wrong. They cry, feel angry, jealous, and upset, just the same as you and me. In these moments, no one is thinking, oh I need to snap a quick picture and come up with an inspirational caption to get 1,000 likes. They are trying to calm down, get collected, and figure out how to problem solve.
What social media is showing us is actually the best collective moments of these incredible peoples' lives. Yes, they are amazing people, but it is very important to keep in mind that even the best people have bad days. No one is truly perfect and you are absolutely awe-inspiring whether you post breathtaking pictures and clever quotes or not.
I am guilty of scrolling through Facebook and Instagram and feeling badly about myself because it seems like everyone else is living a perfect life. To combat those moments I like to remember that everyone farts. No one likes to fart and when it happens it can be loud, smelly, super embarrassing, a combination or all of the above, i.e.: an imperfection that everyone in the whole entire world has to deal with.
It always makes me laugh and brings me back to the realization that no matter how perfect someone seems behind a computer screen, there are things that happen in their life that are out of their control that are less than ideal. There is no reason to feel bad or compare yourself to anyone else. You are amazing, whether your social media accounts reflect that or not.
