Raise your hand if you've ever posted a photo on Instagram or Facebook to make your life seem more interesting.
It's true, most of us are guilty of this, including myself. We take artsy pictures of our lattes or the adventures we drag our friends on and edit them to make them more aesthetically pleasing. We post our photos at times where people are more likely to see it. We make our friends take "candid" photos of us so the cute boy who lives down the hall will finally notice us. And we do all of this to build our image through social media. This person that people see you as online is not who you really are, but rather the person you want people to think you are.
"Social media was invented to offer snippets of your life as a pack of lies."
This day and age you can shred 20 pounds digitally or filter out your acne on Photoshop. Modern technology allows us to achieve "the perfect life" online without actually achieving it in real life. While this digital representation of yourself may put you on a pedestal in the eyes of others, it can deteriorate your personal satisfaction. You will never feel comfortable in your own skin and you will take more pride in this false persona you have created than in your true self.
You are not defined by the opinion of someone who does not know you.
We live in a generation brainwashed by the internet. We're teaching young girls that their worth is defined by the number of likes they get on their selfies. We convince ourselves that the number of people who like our photos on Instagram is directly correlated with our self worth. This is completely false and needs to be ripped from your mind immediately. Of course everyone likes to be admired on the internet, but that does not make them a better person. It may boost your confidence for a split second, but it does nothing for you in the long run.
Be yourself.
You should not live your life to better your Instagram. Try doing something exciting and "so picturesque" without posting about it. Don't feel the need to do things more adventurous or artsy simply to morph your followers' opinions of you. The only people's opinions that matter are those that know the real you and not just the social media version of you.
The real you is the best version of yourself.
You do not need to fabricate your life to please others. You need to learn to love yourself for who you are. Life is too short to waste it being unhappy with yourself. Accept who you are and stop living your life for social media. You are worth so much more than that.
