It’s 2016 and social media is everything! Okay, “everything” is a bit dramatic, but social media is a large part of our world. Businesses, public figures, and everyday people, like you and myself, have social media accounts. Social Media literally lets us display edited versions of ourselves. There are definitely great benefits to these networks, however, if we’re not careful, these same networks can birth insecurities.
I know it seems crazy. How could something as simple as Instagram or Snapchat make me feel bad about myself? Easily. Social media allows us instant access to what we think others are doing with their lives. Most times, it’s just what they portray themselves to be doing. People filter what they want on their accounts. I’m talking about the YouTubers, the Celebs, the Instagram Models, those girls from high school, and everyone in-between. Since we live in an age where people are constantly on social media – constantly chasing The Gram, constantly Snapchatting, constantly scrolling through Facebook – it’s easy to forget that posts and followers aren’t necessarily accurate depictions of people’s lives. I know on my Instagram, and on a lot of other people’s Instagram accounts, pictures are posted … well, when I look good. We all know this because we all do it. Even though we know this, for some reason, when looking through others’ pages, we forget it. We compare our day to day lives to the images we see posted; the ones that have been filtered through.
Magazines like Cosmopolitan and Elle have done articles on this idea, mainly dealing with Instagram. Even further, there have been psychological studies done on low self-esteem and depression stemming from the use of social media. No one’s life is the same. Everyone’s life is different and some people just do a really good job of advertising their good days; showing the production without including all of the behind the scenes drama. It doesn’t mean they don’t have troubles and it definitely doesn’t mean that they’re “better” than you. The truth is: Social media gives us an outlet to make our lives look better than what they are, which can be good and bad. You’d be surprised how many people you’re envious of are actually insecure themselves. We’re all human so no one is perfect. You are who you are, your life is your life, and, at the end of the day, there will always be someone with more than you and someone with less than you. It’s just the way things are and there’s no reason to try to be like anyone else.
Once you become who you are, embrace it, and start living it, people will be searching your name just like you’re searching someone else’s… and even if they don’t, you’ll be so wrapped up being great, it won’t even faze you.
Stay Beautiful.
XO,
Sydney.
TayloredbySydney 