I’ve always loved social media. I got my first point-and-shoot camera in elementary school and later relished the day when I created a MySpace, a place where my sepia, moody images truly belonged.
As time passed, I made accounts on all the various platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. Truth be told, I probably spend more time than I’d like to admit scrolling through my various feeds. And there’s definitely positive aspects; I can see exciting moments in the lives of people with whom I don’t always keep in touch. It’s fun to create a photo and write a witty caption. A relatable tweet can make you laugh when you’re down. These are good things. What isn’t good is thinking that someone’s social media always acts as a true representation of their life or personality.
You know those super glamorous people that you don’t actually follow but they always pop up in your explore feed? The ones who have meticulous pictures, and seem like all they do is take candid photos with their friends, eat amazing food or work at their cool jobs? I’m sure someone comes to your mind. It’s important to remember that this isn’t always necessarily a true representation of their life.
We choose the moments we capture. We choose the photos we edit. We choose how we’d like to be perceived. And I get it, really, I do —I’m literally enrolled in a personal branding course here at the University of Florida. But what’s important is recognizing that there is a normal person that is behind the “brand” we give to ourselves and others.
A feature story by New York Magazine took a peek into the “glamorous” life of an Instagram celebrity, a teenage girl living in New York City. The article, toward the end, reveals that the Instagram user, Lilli (or as you may know her, @lillieve) isn’t exactly as she’s portrayed by her photos.
I believe that it’s important to be able to distinguish how a social media persona might not be a true representation of others. We, as human beings, should never feel inferior to someone else based upon a selected set of square images.
In an article by CNBC from 2015, this percentage was reported: “87 percent of millennials admitted to missing out on a conversation because they were distracted by their phone. Meanwhile, 54 percent said they experience a fear of missing out if not checking social networks” (Saiidi).
Isn’t it bizarre to think that we’re allowing this online world to interfere with our real one? I truly hope that as a society, we never get too far invested in the perceived images that we view. So, if you ever feel overwhelmed or down due to social media, make sure to take a step back and remember that things are not always as they seem.
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