It’s only been two minutes since you posted your photo on Instagram. Two minutes since you posted the photo that took over an hour to edit. Two minutes since you posted the photo that consumed another half hour of your life as you wrote, deleted, and rewrote that perfect caption. Two minutes and you’re already at 20 “likes”. That’s 10 “likes” per minute. Now we’re going on three minutes and the “likes” keep coming in and you keep refreshing your page, watching the number rise.
I’ll be the first to admit, I’m guilty of this. I’m guilty of staring at my phone, going back and forth, questioning whether my photo is “Instagram worthy”, whatever that means. I’m guilty of attempting to come up with some witty caption, and then waiting and waiting for the “likes” to roll in. I’m guilty of this obsession.
This is pretty sad, right? We spend SO much time worrying about how many “likes” we have on a photo. I know people that will delete a photo after a certain amount of time if it hasn’t reached a specific number of “likes” then repost it at a more “prime posting time” (again, whatever that means). People have this stuff down to a science. And for what? A number.
I can recall times when I felt embarrassed because I didn’t reach a certain number of “likes” and that’s not okay. I let social media, specifically Instagram, control certain parts of my life. I think the reality of social media versus real life hit me when I studied abroad. I had seen girls always posting pictures of the cities they traveled and the breathtaking views they saw. And from their pictures, that was how I imagined study abroad. A life full of busy cities, astounding views, and mouthwatering food. Ha! How naïve, I know. Little did I know that behind those pictures were the pressures of planning a trip, finding a place to stay, figuring out a new means of transportation, etc. As amazing as study abroad can be, it’s stressful too but I wasn’t about to let my followers see that side.
We have built up our social media platforms to represent an unrealistic life, a life that we want people to think we have. We have allowed a number to determine our value as a person. And that needs to stop.
I’m not here to shame anyone who does this, I mean I definitely had this mindset, and often still do. But I am here to remind you of the dangers of social media. I’m sure you’ve heard this once or twice, or maybe more, but I don’t think you can hear it enough. You’re not a number.
This isn’t to say stop using social media; I love social media, ESPECIALLY Instagram. I love staying caught up with peoples lives, and I love photography- so what a perfect source. But don’t let it consume you and don’t let it define you. Post a photo because YOU like it, or because it holds special memories, whatever the reason do it for YOU and not the number.