Social Media Ruins Lives
Waddup it’s me ya girl. Lol jk I’m no one’s girl because I’m SINGLE AF. Bye.
Anyways it’s been a minute, my bad. I’ve had a lot of things going on in my life recently. A lot of emotional stressors, work stressors, financial stressors, BEING SINGLE stressors. No but really. I’ve kind of been MIA the past few months or so, in many ways. Texting and getting back to friends, my blog, social media, etc. So first of all, to all my friends I haven't been answering as much, SORRY. Don’t take it personally, I just kind of don’t want to talk via text as much as I used to, or be on social media as much as I used to. Anyone who knew me in college knew I was the Snapchat Queen, taking videos at every party, putting my phone in people’s faces trying to get a funny video of whatever me and my stupid friends were doing. But in the past couple of months I have gotten off Snapchat, Twitter, and now I’m weaning off Facebook. I love me some Instagram but it also ruins lives so.
The reason I have subconsciously just stopped going on these apps is because I kind of just don’t care anymore. I’m happy my friends are happy and post funny things and go out and show their followers they are having a good time. However, I’ve been seeing this quote pop up more and more recently and it's really speaking to me: “Don’t let the internet rush you, no one is posting their failures.”
Everyone has their own shit, everyone is going through something that their followers don’t know about. No one is posting a cute little artsy ass Instagram story or Boomerang about how they’re sad or how they feel lonely, or stressed because they have no money, or freaking out because everyone is getting engaged or married and you’re just like ‘Welp... same.’
My point is, no one knows shit about your life at the current state except for you and the people you choose to tell about it. Social media is purely used for showing off what you have, what you look like, what food you’re eating, and how many shots you’re taking at the bar. I mean okay that’s a little rough and judgmental but that’s basically true. Don’t get me wrong, it’s awesome that we live in a day and age where we can use the Internet to connect with people and reconnect with those not always immediately around you or in your life. I love being able to chat with my cousin in Greece on Facebook, and my mom loves to talk to her old high school friends on Facebook too. But my generation has taken this ability to use these methods of connection and turn it into a competition. Who’s the skinniest, who’s the prettiest, who has the best and most expensive hair, who’s nails look bomb after a manicure on a Saturday morning… I can keep going, but I know you get the point.
Social media has just been making me feel worse about myself and my current life issues recently. I’ve chosen to take myself off these apps (or have slowly started to take myself off at least) because none of that shit matters. It just makes you go crazy, it makes you want things you don’t have but others do, it makes you sad that a guy you like or talk to can’t text you back but can post an Instagram story, it makes you feel like you need to lose x amount of weight to be able to post fire bikini pics and get a stupid amount of likes just to make yourself temporarily feel better, or worth it, for 24 hours.
It’s just all so dumb. It’s so stupid. And I know those of you that really know me are probably like “Wtf is she talking about she’s a hypocrite she used to always be on Instagram and Snapchat and Twitter” and that’s true, I did always used to be on that crap. But now, things have changed for me, I don’t care anymore. If you want to talk to me, or see my face, text me or call me to say hello and make plans. Don’t go on my Instagram and get your fix by looking at my page or my most recent Instagram story of what makeup I have on that day. Fucking pick up the phone, text me, call me, and talk to me like a human.
“Like a human.” We are human. We are meant to have personal and physical connections. This Internet crap is taking away from that, and those experiences that you could be having with others. Me and my three best friends from high school, when we go out to eat or go do something together, we put our phones face down in the middle of the table and don’t touch them the entire time. Or we’ll leave them in the car, or one of us will take them all and hide them. People are relying too much on connections via the Internet and social media, and forgetting about the physical, emotional, and mental connections that spending time with someone can and will bring them. And it’s sad.
I think the absolute worst part about social media is that it lowers your self-esteem and self-confidence and therefore makes you question your worth. Every girl, and if not, every guy, has felt this. Like I said before, it can be as simple as someone you like choosing not to text you back but posting a Snapchat or Instagram story. It can be as simple as seeing a girl you used to go to high school with getting thousands of likes on a picture while you don’t get nearly half as many. It can be as simple as seeing an ex you’re trying to get over post an Instagram with another girl. These things make you feel like shit. They drive you absolutely nuts. They make you rethink everything you’ve ever said, done, or posted… No matter how many people in your life tell you that you don’t need the guy who won’t text you, or that you don’t need likes to show the world your beauty, or that the girl you were worried about isn’t half as good as you are in so many ways, it doesn’t matter. You have to feel it within yourself. You have to feel the beauty within yourself. It cannot and should not come from anyone else. Social media makes us think that we need reassurance from others. The only reassurance we need as human beings to remember that you are worth it, you are a kick ass person, you are beautiful, and you are on a road to greatness, is from you yourself.
I struggle with this. I have good friends who struggle with this. I talk to these good friends about this and say and write inspirational novels like what I just did above, but it’s hard to take your own advice.
The world is a beautiful place. We are so lucky and blessed to be living in a time where connections come as easy as breathing. It makes us feel closer to people in our lives, it lets us share our thoughts, and it lets us grow and learn. But we must remember that those things, that technology and social media, those things are not real life. Real life is enjoying time with others. Real life is enjoying experiences with others. Real life is what happens when you get off Instagram and see the world and the beautiful people who make it up, through your own eyes and not a filter.
I might be taking a social media break. By “break” I guess I mean actually deleting the apps I seldom use these days and deleting the ones I still do use (aka Instagram) for x amount of time. I’m not sure yet. I want to, but I guess I’m nervous of what I’ll miss. I don’t really know why I’m nervous though. I know won’t miss anything important, because to me, the only important things in our lives are the physical experiences and connections you have and make with others, and the happiness, growth, and love that is felt through them.
Listen, don’t start sweating if you don’t see my beautiful face on any of your 756 social media apps or timelines in the near future. I’m still here, being the fabulous me and eating my fabulous Greek food my mom makes for me (no shame leave me alone). So, if you want to see me (and if you don’t suck and I want to see you too) text me or call me. And we can go out to eat and have Greek salads with extra feta cheese. Because let's be real, nothing is better than that.