Hi everyone! Welcome, or welcome back, to The Teen Safe Zone where it's safe for teens to be themselves! In today's blog post, I felt that we should discuss the issue of comparing ourselves to others on social media. If you've been an active reader of this blog, you would know that I talk a lot about social media and the effects that it has on the teen community. However, I've never specifically talked about how easy it is to fall into the trap of social media comparison, so let's talk about it.
In a world of a digital age, with just a few taps, you can see what everyone is up to in their lives—including strangers. This makes social media an open door for comparison, jealousy, and envy. You can see someone with the "perfect" body on one post and someone getting a new job promotion on another post. Then there's you; you feel as if there's nothing "exciting" to share in your own life, and you start living relentlessly through the people you admire on social media.
Through this, you feel "less than" and would rather admire someone else's greatness than see your own. Let's talk about a healthy mindset you should take to heart to stop comparing yourself to social media.
An "Aesthetic" vs. Reality:
POV: You're scrolling through TikTok, Pinterest, Instagram, or even simply watching a YouTube video, and you see all of the different "aesthetic" videos and photos. Now, don't get me wrong—I love to watch a minimalist video from time to time, but I understand that this is just a highlight of someone's life and not reality. There are so many aesthetic trends to keep up with: "soft/clean girl," "indie," "baddie," "cottagecore," etc. It's exhausting to keep up with them, and let's not even think about how exhausting it must be to appear that your life is one "aesthetic."
Life is messy. One day, we can feel like we're on cloud nine, and the next thing you know, it feels like it's all going downhill. But we don't see that side of life on social media. We see the good side that we all wish we could live 24/7. We see the highlights of someone's life, not the chaos life can be at times.
Imagine:
Think about all of your favorite memories from your life. Now imagine you had a camera roll where you uploaded every single favorite memory of yours into it. Of course, from the outside, it'll appear that you have an amazing life. This is exactly how social media works.
I don't know about you, but I definitely don't have the time every day to look or even feel like an "aesthetic". Sure, one day I can get all dressed up, but the majority of the time I quickly go through my closet and throw together an outfit. If you look around in life outside of social media, many people do that too. Life is not an "aesthetic". It's fun to imagine that it is or to live like it is for a day, but it's not. Everyone has bad days, and no, it's not just life throwing rocks at you. But unfortunately, we are conditioned not to share those things on social media.
Body Comparison:
As we talked about above, we are conditioned to believe that everything is "perfect" on social media or that it's just a "you" problem. We only see the highlights of other people's lives. We see people with "perfect" bodies and facial features, but we tend to let the thought slide that editing, photoshopping, and filters are a thing. Not everything we see on social media is 100% real.
Acne, stretch marks, and body fat are all things that are normal. However, they are so shamed and "hushed" about on social media and in society in general. I just want to let you know that, although I have not seen you before, you are beautiful inside and out! If there is something you are unsatisfied with about yourself, let it be because it's something you want to change and not something social media is telling you to change.
Be The Change You Want To See:
On social media, we are conditioned to be "followers" instead of leaders. If you don't want to follow the trends or follow things blindly, you are instantly cast out of the mainstream. But just because certain things aren't normalized on social media doesn't mean that you can't be the person to change that!
I've always told myself that I want all of my platforms to be the change I wish to see in the world. Trust me, you are not the only person rooting for a change in mainstream social media! There's an entire community of people who truly want to see other people thrive and make social media a better place; you just have to find them!
Regularly going through the people that you follow and the things that you like will help filter your recommended feed. Of course, you're still going to see a few slip-ups every once in a while because it's still social media, but it will help you in the long run. Surround yourself with a good online support group of people who empower and motivate you, not people who make you feel bad.
Social Media Detoxing:
Sometimes, it all comes down to just taking a break from social media or "detoxing." There's so much that this world has to offer that social media can't provide! Social media is a fun alter-reality to escape to, but nothing compares to actually enjoying the reality you were given! Be the change you wish to see online and offline as well!
Well, I hope you all enjoyed today's post! If you all have any other comments on this post, make sure to become a member on this site by simply signing up and making an account to comment! If you want to contact me about anything, please visit the "Contact Us" page on this blog where we can privately talk! New posts every other Sunday! - Lexi
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