Social media has pretty much taken over the world. It seems as though everyone is always on Twitter, Instagram, or Snapchat at some point during each day. I even see kids that are in middle school posing and posting their daily activities and status updates. It is crazy to think about how fast social media became so popular.

Growing up, I never was allowed to have access to social media, because it was not something that my parents wanted me to be exposed to. At the time, I did not understand it and I was even a little upset, because all of my friends were getting on the new Instagram bandwagon and creating Twitter accounts. However, looking back, I am glad that I did not grow up on social media.

I log into Instagram and Facebook and there are all these people on there, flaunting their "perfect" summer bodies and their extravagant purchases for the whole world to see. I would be lying if I were to stand here and tell you that seeing those perfectly bronzed and toned girls doesn't bother me at times. Although, I am at a point in my life where I am striving for self confidence and I do not let those photos dictate my happiness and try to make me feel like I am less than what I am. I do not believe that God makes mistakes. I believe that He made us all beautiful in every way and just because society points to one aspect of beauty as being "perfect," does not mean that it is the truth.

I cannot imagine being 12 years old, barely discovering who I am, and logging onto Instagram and seeing these models and influencers on my page. I think that it is so harmful and dangerous for such young, innocent, and vulnerable girls to be exposed to that kind of media. Of course, there is always a chance that it will not happen, but I think that because of the age, it can be damaging to a child's self-esteem and the way that they identify themselves.

Social media also has a very powerful way of promoting political ideas and social issues. Twitter and Facebook both do a very good job of telling me that our president is a terrible man and that we need to vote on this and vote on that. But, what happened to shaping your own views? Seeing your friends all adhere to one social issue or political stance on a public platform is a wonderful way to brainwash an innocent child into believing something that might not be right.

I have seen this happen all the way through the 2016 presidential election during my senior year of high school. It was as though everybody had this deep, dark hate for Donald Trump. There was absolutely no sympathy or understanding for anyone who chose to support him during the election and I could not help but see this as very disturbing.

I believe that social media has the power to make a person believe things that they might not have initially believed, or even thought of or considered, and it is very harmful and damaging. It is almost as if we do not even notice it is happening. Once you take a step back and realize how social media has influenced you, or people that you know, in one way or another, it can definitely be a wake-up call.

I know that it is almost impossible to think of someone your age that does not have at least one social media account, and that is okay. I am not saying to delete your accounts and stop posting or liking pictures or Tweets, but what I am saying is that you should not allow social media to affect your true identity. Who you are is so beautiful and so powerful. You were made in the image of God and you are perfect just the way you are. Do not allow social media to tell you how you should act and dress. Do not let social media tell you who to vote for and why, because you are allowed to have your own opinions. I promise you that owning up to your true beliefs and morals will be the most relieving feeling ever.

Judgment lasts a second, but who you are and what you do in your life will last forever.