While the amount of time I spend with my phone glued to my face mindlessly scrolling through news feeds and MyStories would beg to differ, I have begun to realize social media is not such an essential part of life. In fact, I cannot recall a time I have ever set my phone down after scanning all of my social networks feeling more beautiful, known or loved than I did when I picked it up. I love sharing cute 'n' fun pictures as much as the next person, but my selfish heart immediately turns my news feed into a competition, wanting to be included in the coolest pictures or get enough likes to impress everyone who sees that little number in the bottom left corner. I have started taking notice of how I truly feel after hopping on social media, and I think it boils down to four major unhealthy emotions our favorite boredom breakers can induce.
Comparison.
Yes, we will get more likes than other people, yet we seem to think that entitles us to something our friend with 75 followers has not earned. We won't always look as skinny or effortlessly beautiful as the girls who fill up our feed. We won't always get a picture with the guy everyone wants to take pictures with. But as humans, we have an innate desire to be the best, so our focus instantly shifts from the immensity of what we have to the couple insignificant things we don't have. Comparison is the thief of joy, friends.
FOMO.
Fear of missing out is a very real thing. Though many people laughingly dismiss their FOMO, I've found it to be crippling on many occasions. But why are we surprised that we feel left out or lame if we spend our time focusing on what other people are doing? If we put our phones down, we wouldn't even give our minds a chance to wonder why we weren't invited, envy our peer's popularity, or ultimately believe we don't measure up. Chances are, what you are truly missing out on is what is happening right in front of you.
Control.
Social networks give us an unhealthy amount of control over the image we present to the world. We get to choose the pictures and words that make us look perfect. We show no glimpse of the hard days or the flaws in our appearance. And so we successfully convince people we have it all together and simultaneously charge them with the task of having it all together, too. So let's remember that looks can be deceiving and not to be afraid of honesty, even when it's not pretty.
Appearance.
I think social media has a detrimental effect on our concept of beauty. As perfect looking people cover our feeds, we start to believe that beauty means having the perfect body, hair and skin tone. But beauty is not a visible quality, my friends. People who spend time beautifying their hearts benefit infinitely more than those who slave over their outward appearance. So next time you scroll through Instagram, remember the “beauty" you see is not truly what makes those people beautiful. We are beautiful not because of what we look like, but because of who we are.
