We all fall victim to it. We all participate in it. We scroll, we tap, we post, we edit, we like, we tweet, we favorite. We all use social media. And quite frankly, I'm tired of it.
From Instagram to Twitter to Facebook to Snapchat, there is no denying that nearly everyone has these applications on his or her smart phone. We go great lengths to perfect our selfies, create a memorable message that is 140 characters or less and find just the right photo filter.
And we all love seeing how many likes, favorites and retweets we can get. It's almost like a little game we play in our minds and when our phones blow up with notifications, it feels good.
But should it? Why do we seek approval from other people? If I like the photo I posted, shouldn't that be enough?
Social media is dominating the youth of today. It makes us feel confident, loved and positive about the image we are portraying. But we all have our flaws, and it's OK to show them. It's OK to embrace who we are wholeheartedly and not worry about what other people think of us.
I'm tired of social media because I'm tired of people living their lives through a superficial, high-definition screen. To me, it means nothing. I feel better about each and every moment I spend when I live it through my eyes and not my phone.
Our desire to experience the world for what it is, is more beautiful than anything. Living in the moment is so important in today's society. You never know what might happen, and embracing each memory and turning your full attention toward it is incredibly refreshing.
That's not to say we shouldn't take pictures or videos we can look back on when we're old and gray. I think taking pictures is important. Instead of capturing the superficial things, capture the unexpected things. Don't let posting on social media take over your adventures.
Let the day carry you where it may, take candids (real ones) and just live each moment for what it is. And these moments will string themselves together to create long-lasting, unforgettable memories that will last a lifetime.
I hope that someday, people will find comfort in experiencing life in this way. It's how we are meant to experience it, after all.
Like Sutter Keely says in "The Spectacular Now," this is the youngest we're ever going to be. This is our time, so live right now.
We may not be perfect, but I think deleting some social media from our lives would do this world some good. Life is too short to not love it for what it is. So let's live life, not post about it.
