Technology is everywhere. And by everywhere, I quite literally mean everywhere. In our houses, in our cars, on our streets, and in our hands. It's safe to say technology consumes our lives.

I was doing some thinking the other day (brace yourselves for a huge revelation) and I got to asking myself, "Why do I have social media?" And when I actually sat down and thought about it, I couldn't give an actual valid reason as to why I get on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The problem with social media in our generation is it's a huge popularity contest. It's all about who has the most likes on their selfies, who has the nicest looking Instagram feed, who is going on the best vacations, who is wearing the best clothes. It's a way to display all the material things we possess. It's a brief and shallow snapshot of our lives. Our status updates display only our best moments. We, as a society, have this way of shining a light on our lives to make other people think we have it together.

I can't tell you the number of times I have been looking at someone else's Instagram and thought to myself, "I wish I looked like her" or, "I wish I had that car/life/boyfriend/family." Now, don't get me wrong, I think social media can be a great way to communicate with family we don't see often and to meet new friends you couldn't meet if it weren't for technology.

But, like I was saying, it also can stir up some real insecurities. It can stir up real doubts and disappointments in your life and relationships. We are constantly comparing ourselves and our lives to other people's snapshots of their lives. I do it, and don't deny that you do it, as well. Social media makes me feel like I have to have the perfect life. Like I need to make more friends, buy nicer things, take prettier pictures. But what is perfect? Are these not all very subjective things?

It makes you feel like you aren't good enough, and that you should always want more, and here's why that's a problem:

In order to be happy, you have to have gratitude for the here and now. Gratitude is about appreciating your circumstances, no matter what they are.

Comparing your here and now to someone's brief snapshot of their here and now is self-defeating. Let's be real. We all struggle with something. We all have our own demons, and life gives us all a bad hand sometimes. Social media can really trick you into believing that someone is happy or successful or has a perfect body and a perfect wardrobe. But it's never that simple, and there is so much more to life than that.

Delete your social media for a few days and spend time in the here and now. Understand what you actually enjoy, instead of just doing things for the likes. Do things that open your mind and your heart. Spend some extra time with your loved ones and turn your damn phone off. Life is meant to be lived, so go out and live it. Don't live it through your phone screen.