When I get bored, I find myself in a very dangerous part of Twitter: the “Common White Girl” accounts. Reading all their relatable (yet recycled) tweets is my guilty pleasure. Who doesn’t want to watch a Vine of tiny fluffy puppies, “mmhmm” to yourself over a relatable tweet, or read touching stories from Tumblr about random acts of kindness? However, there’s one common hashtag trend on these accounts that drives me insane: #goals.
These #goals tweets come in various forms: #relationshipgoals, #makeupgoals, #lifegoals…you get the point. These tweets usually include a picture of an envious or “goal-worthy” life situation: a girl with a “perfect” body standing on a beautiful beach, an adorable homecoming or prom proposal, a giant stash of expensive makeup, or basically anything and everything Kylie Jenner.
My issue with #goals tweets is that it causes people to idolize material things that don’t matter. It leads some to not appreciate what they do have. Just because you don’t have $500 worth of MAC makeup, aren’t in a relationship, or don’t have style like Rihanna does not mean that your life isn’t wonderful. Since when did perfect eye makeup indicate a fulfilled life? Making all of these things our goals takes our minds of off the important things in life: our family, friends, education, and most importantly, joy. Don’t set up impossible expectations for your future based on what’s popular in culture now. Your future is going to be uniquely your own. Make your goals things that matter: showing love to those around you, getting a good education in order to pursue your dreams, and enjoying this short life you’ve been blessed with. Take time to appreciate what you do have. You never know what you have in life that is someone else’s #goal.