Recently, the swimwear company Pretty Little Thing has come under fire for creating a new swimsuit that seems to be made not for actually swimming, but instead only for posing by the pool.

Yes, you read that right. A type of clothing with the word "swim" in the name is not being used for swimming.

Probably much like you are right now, 22-year-old Alisha was very confused about why the dye on her new bikini from the swimwear company was running down her leg when she came out of the water. She later sent a DM to Pretty Little Thing asking them why this was happening to her suit. It was then that she learned that particular bikini is used solely for posing by the pool, not actually for swimming. Alisha, along with many other people on the Internet, was incredibly confused as to why a swimsuit company would make a bikini that wasn't meant for swimming.

Alisha later said, "It's sad to see the effect that social media has had on the fashion world. I love a poolside selfie but I also love swimming."

There is absolutely nothing wrong with posting cute summer pictures on your Instagram. It's fun to share summer adventures with your friends and followers, and it's also a lot of fun to pose for pictures.

But the true joys in life come with being present and experiencing life beyond your Insta feed.

With stories like Alisha's, it becomes even more clear just how much of a filter some people are willing to put on their lives. The fact that people will wear cute swimwear with the sole intent of a popular Instagram post is actually pretty concerning. When did we become so obsessed with our image on the Internet that we will literally pretend to do something in order to stage a perfect life? Why have we let the Instagram mindset become one of the governing forces behind our worldview?

Swimming is definitely not the most aesthetically pleasing activity. There's a reason not a lot of girls wear makeup when they go swimming. Their hair gets really messy, and they're soaking wet when the time has come to take pictures. But when you think about it, that's a perfect reflection of real life. Real life can be messy. Sometimes our hair isn't exactly perfect, maybe there's a mistake in our makeup, or we just may not look our best one day.

But that should never dictate how we feel about ourselves.

Real life begins when we learn that there is a life outside of our Instagram feed. Likes, followers, shares, anything else social media has to offer, is temporary compared to the happiness we feel when we embrace real life.

And if there's a day when everything isn't picture perfect, that's okay! Life isn't going to be a perfect feed, and it shouldn't be! The bad days simply make your good days that much better.

I encourage you to look beyond the likes you can gain from the perfect selfie on Instagram. Go on, get in the water! Swim around, mess up your hair, and emerge positively drenched. You may just have the time of your life in there.