Social media is like a mirage. The things you see on certain social media sites are what you may think is reality; whether it is a picture of people laughing, a group of friends having fun, or an adventurous individual hiking—it looks convincing. However, once you get closer to this mirage, you start to realize that your first impressions on those images you saw aren’t exactly correct. They are only showing you a hint of truth—and that is being generous. Social media is a mirage. It is an optical illuson which feeds fake expectations and creates false hopes on what is a fulfilling life and perfect image.

We are social media crazy, intoxicated by a false world that speaks its own language: a language of insecurity, egotistical viewpoints, and superficial ideas. Social media has negatively taken over the way teens look and interact with themselves, each other, and the world by creating unrealistic expectations of a fulfilling life and a perfect social image.

On an iPhone screen, the lives of Alexis Ren and Jay Alvarrez are seen as being perfect—they are teenage models, spontaneous, and traveling the world with no worry. Isn’t your life exciting like theirs? What? You're sitting at your desk studying? You’re going to college? You’re working a part time job to help with expenses? Boring.

Through their photos, one may draw conclusions like those about their daily lives—it isn’t good enough—it is boring. You aren’t adventurous enough. Your relationship isn’t spontaneous and fun. You aren’t spontaneous and fun. Photos similar to those that Alexis Ren and Jay Alvarrez post provide depictions of lives that aren’t practical and often make people look down on their own. This is something many teens and social media users experience through the increasing presence of social media. They see unrealistic expectations of life, feeling like they need to participate, and if they don’t, they are somehow failing at living a fulfilling life.

Well I am here in attempts to shut those thoughts down. I am your wake up call. No, your life is not boring. Just because it isn’t like their or anyone else’s doesn’t mean the life you are living isn’t a great one. The photos are only a snapshot of a moment. From that photo, you only get what the user wants you to see—it doesn’t show you the problems they are dealing with and whether or not they are genuinely happy. With this in mind, it is important that we don’t demean ourselves and compare ourselves to something that is only a false depiction of someone’s life; a life that is impractical and not an accurate source of what a “fulfilling life” should be.

Be you. Live your own life. Because YOU are adventurous enough. YOU are spontaneous and fun. The life YOU are living has meaning and doesn’t have to fit to such unrealistic standards. YOU do YOU.