Social media controls modern day society. Sometimes, I think it’s a modern day monster. We are on it. all. the. time.

Social media really sucks us in sometimes.  I have found that at times I have gotten so absorbed in social media that I become absent from my current surroundings. Instead of being present in my own life, thoughts and opinions, I am elsewhere: attaching myself to what everyone else is doing or feeling based upon what they choose to present on social media platforms. This really messed with my head for a while. I definitely started comparing myself to other people for a while thinking everyone was having more fun than I was, or was happier, or whatever the case may be. I think the absolute worst thing to do, ever, in any situation, is to compare yourself, on any scale, to others. “Run your own race” is my life motto. But, you see, social media encourages comparison and competition, and I would be a liar if I said it hasn’t sucked me in sometimes. I’ve made myself take a step back and really recognize social media for what it is, and much of it is superficial and frankly unhealthy. It essentially facilitates the need for social approval, comparison and competition… all based upon the fantasy world that is social media glamorization. Nobody is going to post their sad, mad, bad days. We post the fun times, and everyone looks like they’re living the life. I mean, after all, we need to look super impressive, right? *sarcasm intended*… but seriously, we all do it!

Don’t get me wrong, social media has it’s perks. I mean, blog writing is a type of social media, and it gives me a place where I can organize my random thoughts and share them with other people. Getting texts or comments from people telling me that they can relate to something I have written, or that I have helped them in some way LIGHTS UP MY WORLD. If it weren’t for this social media platform (or others like Facebook, that I share it on), I wouldn’t get to experience that joy. It allows me to open up my heart to friends, family, and even strangers who may find solitude in some piece of advice that I offer. That is such a blessing to me, and I am so thankful for it. I post about things that I have learned, my fears and hopes, my mistakes. But I have to say, that this is the only social media platform that has brought me nothing but pure happiness (thus far). Others can be entertaining for a while, but in the end they bring no genuine sense of fulfillment overall.

Let’s take instagram for example: I absolutely love photography because it captures beautiful memories in a single glimpse. I enjoy keeping these moments and sharing them with the people that I love because I enjoy seeing their precious moments as well. Yeah, I am guilty of using instagram a lot. It, and other social media platforms alike, really are neat thing in some aspects. They allow people to keep in touch and updated with people they rarely see. But when I REALLY think about it, it has gotten so far from the intentions of just ‘sharing memories with people’. It is superficial time commitment. We post pictures and updates of what we’re eating, where we’re going, we put filters on it to make it look “better”, and waste copious amounts of time to make a picture look “perfect”. Does anyone truly care? Let’s be honest, not really. We post things to get “likes”, we care about a “following to follower ratio”, yeah, it’s a little ridiculous and a gigantic waste of time. Yet, do we continue to feed into the cycle? Absolutely. Social media can tell a story about someone, but most of the story is left untold. A smile can hide pain, a filter can hide a blemish (I’ve done it), a crop can hide an insecurity, and it’s really really easy to make your life seem perfect through a couple stupid pictures… and that’s really important to remember.

I guess the reason I have taken the time to write this is because I just want to remind people to live their lives for themselves, and to remember that even though everyone likes to make their lives seem super fun, exciting, and impressive, we are all going through struggles that nobody sees. If social media is making you unhappy in the slightest, or if you’re getting caught up in the comparison game- exit out of it. NOW. Remember that you’re awesome, and go focus on the great, fun memories that you can make right in front of you with people that you love.

Keep smiling,

Jenna