A picture may be worth a thousand words, but is it really worth a thousand likes? Is your mental health, self-worth and self-confidence worth a thousand likes?
What are you willing to sacrifice for a thousand likes?
Unfortunately, some people are willing to sacrifice all three of the above things for popularity on social media. In today's day and age, the phenomenon of being "Instagram famous" has taken the world by storm and pushed women and men — even girls and boys — alike to reach a certain level of perfection in hopes of seeking widespread social acceptance or "popularity."
This "social acceptance" translating to high numbers of Instagram followers and likes.
Some people will do just about anything for this public approval, even if it means paying for followers and likes, altering appearances with editing apps, or physically altering appearances by taking unhealthy and unnecessary measures that damage their physical and mental health.
The extreme measures Instagram users are willing to take to receive their ideal level of notoriety distorts people's perceptions of reality and calls for our generation to reevaluate how we define "self-worth." Your worth is not measured by the number of likes you receive or followers you have.
Merriam-Webster defines "self-worth" as "a feeling that you are a good person who deserves to be treated with respect."
Are you really deserving of respect if you paid for those 2,000 likes you got on your bikini pic? Are you really deserving of respect if you shrink your waist size four inches on an editing app? I would hope not.
You are worth way more than your popularity status on social media.
Yes, I'm often times guilty of choosing a picture to post based on what I think will get the most likes. And yes, I'm also guilty of glorifying famous Instagram users who I've never met and have done nothing — at least to my knowledge — to earn their Insta fame, but I remember to take these things into account when I find myself doing so.
It's okay to post a picture because you're having a fabulous hair day and want to show it off. It's okay to post a picture because you want to show off your rockin' bod on the beach. It's okay to post a picture because your outfit looks bomb and you just had to capture it. However, it's not okay to characterize your self-worth by the number of likes these pictures receive or additional followers they give you.
Your Instagram should be for you and no one else.
While the "Instagram famous" phenomenon isn't ending anytime soon, it's important to remind yourself that those celebrities, models, or other influential accounts that you follow are normal people too. No need to compare yourself to those people or place your value in reaching their level of fame.
So no, your worth is not measured by the number of likes you receive or the number of followers you have. Check yo self before you wreck yo self.
