My girlfriend and I just returned from a wonderful trip to Paris. Over there, we took tons of photos of Versailles, the Eiffel Tower, and other iconic places in and near the City of Love. It was a memorable experience that we look forward to sharing with our friends and family.
I remember that we took tons of photos (literally hundreds and hundreds of them) everywhere we went. Shot after shot after shot after shot. And I know that eventually, some of those photos will end up on their way to Instagram and other forms of social media to show to the world on pleasant our days over there were. We will show them the absolute highlight photos of our trip, even though perhaps hundreds of the photos we took probably won’t make the cut.
This is probably how most people do it on Instagram or social media (I believe at least). On those platforms, it’s an incessant reel of highlights of people’s lives. Perfectly curated to show how perfectly their trip went or how glamorous their lives are. But in the end, we probably don’t know how many shots it took for them to achieve that perfectly curated video or that perfectly filtered photo.
Everything looks so perfect on Instagram. We must consistently remind ourselves that what we see there is not consistent with how everyday lives work, where there are constant interruptions, halter skelter events, and incessant annoyances that pop up everywhere we go. Yes, even when we go on vacations as glorious as to Paris.
I know firsthand because I do the same thing as well. I look at the best photos that I’ve taken (probably less than 0.5% of the overall photos I took) and post them on Facebook or Instagram for the whole world to see. It’s that need to show others that you are having a good time and that everything is going well.
Just know that nobody’s lives are that perfect. Nobody posts the arguments that they’ve had with their loved ones, or their toilet clogging, or being cut off in traffic. No one posts not being able to afford ever-expensive groceries, or standing in line waiting for hours, or getting diagnosed with a chronic disease. Nobody posts these things.
So yes, Instagram is a wonderful tool to make you feel good about yourself. But it’s addictive and the caveat is that no one ever has it as good as they want you to believe. As I sit here typing this blog, I’ve had a relatively mundane morning. I’ve had spurts of inspiration but also periods of inactivity. I’ve had highs and lows. I’ve had periods of happiness, joy, and contentment. But I’ve also had periods of agitation, aggravation, and stagnation.
This is nobody’s fault. Because after all, we are all human. And we all live relatively normal lives. Instagram is a wonderful tool out there because it helps you connect and yes it lets people know how your life is going so far. But just take everything on it with a grain of salt. It can be very addicting to want to post that glamorous photo of yourself online. If you want to, by all means go ahead.
It’s just that there are so many pitfalls and misunderstandings that come with those social media photos as well. But at the end of the day, you do you. Of course, you deserve to show the world how happy and well-lived you are. You deserve to post wonderful photos of the Parisian countryside or that awesome dinner you just ate. You deserve to post about happy gatherings and long-lost friends.
There is so much joy in Instagram that must not be discounted as well. In my opinion, that program is here to stay for the long-term future, simply due to the human need for recognition and comparison.
However, at the end of the day, just understand that you shouldn’t compare your 24/7 everyday mundane life with a few quick snapshots of the best moments of someone’s trip. You shouldn’t compare your bad days with a perfectly curated photo of someone’s absolute best day. That’s not sustainable and that’s not healthy for anyone in the long-run.
So, just have your way with social media. Have fun with Instagram. But just remember that it’s a tool that should be used wisely – for enjoyment but also used with some perspective about how the world really works.
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