As Spring Break comes to a close, pictures of everyone's perfect, tropical spring breaks spent with friends and family are surfacing onto everyone's Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook. If you were one of the lucky ones that was able to reap the benefits of sunny days lounging on the beach, these pictures are most likely posted to these platforms to add to your ongoing documentation of life. But as I spent my Spring Break in a less than ideal fashion, I found myself comparing my experiences to all those who spent their time tan, bikini-clad and on a beach somewhere with a margarita in hand. I, too, utilize my social media in the same fashion -- documenting the highlights of trips and fun evenings with a flattering filter and the perfect caption. Yet in the face of hardship, jealousy, and envy, self-shaming was something that went through my mind every time I clicked on the apps. After a few days of this, I began to recognize what was going on: I was comparing myself to all of those picture perfect moments.
Yet life is far from perfect and each time we log on to our respective social media accounts, we embody a persona. We get to pick what pictures we post, what message we want to put out to our friends, and what sort of personality we want to portray that day. Most of us pick the happiest, most attractive portrayals to put out for the world to see because that's what we all strive to be: happy, healthy, and for the majority, liked. This is why the little heart on Instagram, the thumbs up on Facebook, and being able to see who views your Snap story yield so much power.
This is an important thing for our generation to realize. It is extremely easy to get caught up in comparing your Friday night into your friend's night out on the town, or that one girl who is so in shape she makes you want to simultaneously eat and work out every time she pops up on your feed. These people have stories, flaws, and problems too, but focusing on the positive and portraying that image is what our society values.
Just remember, not every smiling face is a happy one, despite the filter that makes the individual look #flawless. None of us are flawless. So when you open these apps, remember that just because you aren't feeling it today, it doesn't mean that everyone else is having more fun than you, is more attractive than you or is better at "living" than you. We all embody personas, just like one does in writing, singing, rapping, or any other outlet. Stop comparing yourself to the pictures you see and focus on simply living your life in whatever way makes you happy.
