Ah Instagram - one of the most popular forms of todays social media outlets. Although a great place for keeping up with what friends, family, and even celebrities are up to, the app has some major drawbacks. A person's Instagram page usually consists of flattering pictures of them on vacations, with friends, or out at concerts or fun events. One flaw I find with Instagram and lots of other social media platforms is that people use them to usually only promote, and even somewhat over exaggerate, the good things in their life. Instagram is a way for people to highlight the good and exciting aspects without advertising the bad.
When someone scrolls through their Instagram feed feelings of jealousy can often arise. When you're looking at so many posts of people's glorified lives it can make you wish you had something that they seem to have. But truthfully, this is the false sense Instagram gives. People edit their pictures to have whiter teeth and tanner skin. We've become obsessed with our social media image. We post pictures at "prime liking times" and judge how popular a person is by how many followers they have. We keep up with people's lives who we don't even personally know at all or all that well. I definitely think that there is a correlation between social media, Instagram especially, and the harsh beauty standards we hold ourselves to. A girl could scroll through Instagram and wish she had this girl's wardrobe, that girl's hair, and her body. It's another outlet for comparison, subtle competition, and sometimes judgement.
Now I'm not completely bashing Instagram because I have my own account and go on it frequently. I just think more people need to realize how people can make their life appear perfect from the surface of their account. The world does not revolve around how many followers you have compared to how many you follow back. The world does not revolve around who unfollowed you and who didn't like your photo. You do not need Instagram to prove to your friends and family that you are enjoying your life. You know what will make people believe that you are happy?
True happiness.
If you are truly happy, your happiness will radiate to everyone around you. Instead of people talking about how perf you looked in your recent Instagram, people will be talking about how sincerely happy you have been and that is the best compliment of them all.
