We've all fallen prey to it: the deep, dark, alluring, consuming wormhole that is social media. Now, before I begin, I would like to clarify that I don't think social media is bad. It is a source of humor, entertainment, and somewhat a way of keeping in touch with those who are far from us. However, recently I have noticed, especially on Instagram and Facebook, that people use social media as a way to prove to others how well their lives are going. It begs the question: To what end?
What is the purpose of promoting a fake sense of identity online? Who are you trying to impress? And why?
Before getting all judgmental about others, I decided to take a look at my own social media. I, too, fell into the same wormhole of social media flex. My posts on Instagram were all well-edited and well-selected photos of myself, in which I am well dressed and wearing makeup. And yeah, I do look like that . . . sometimes. But a lot of the time, I am wearing a ponytail, leggings, sweatshirt, glasses, and no makeup, walking as fast as I can to try and make it to my classes on time. The version of me online is not an accurate depiction of how I typically look. So I had to ask myself, why am I portraying myself as to put together online? Why do I want people to think of me as perfect, when I'm not?
It is difficult to feel comfortable with the idea that we are all human. It's easy to reassure those around us, such as our friends, family, and peers, that it's okay to mess up and make mistakes; the hard part is telling that to ourselves — and believing it.
This past week, during spring break, everybody from campus was posting about their amazing vacations, their stunning outfits, and their glowing post-vacay skin. Seeing all these posts gave me major FOMO and made me feel inferior. I felt like I had to compensate somehow, and post an old vacation picture or get dressed up and do a photo shoot in my backyard just to have some content to put up. But I realized that I am not the odd one out. Hundreds of college students simply went home for spring break, or even stayed on campus and worked. There is simply no reason for me to put on a facade of sunshine and rainbows online if that isn't what my life actually feels like.
Part of me wishes we could go back to the Instagram of the old days, the one where people posted over-filtered photos of their breakfast, and goofy selfies with their best friends. I mean, what's stopping us?
The lesson I learned from all this is above all, be truthful to yourself. Post what you want, or don't post at all, but don't lie. Because when you create a fake world on social media, you find yourself feeling wildly dissatisfied with the real world instead. Rather, focus on finding a happy middle. You can still post aesthetically pleasing photos on the Gram without actually lying about how you're feeling or where you are or what you did. Social media is evolving, and trends come and go, but remember why it was created: to share your world with others. Don't let fake glamour derail you from achieving that.
