How often do you see dramatic comments like “Stop I’m dying,” or “Oh em gee kill me I want to be you” on social media? How often have you felt dissatisfied or insecure after keeping up with social media, or pressured with a feeling like you always have to come up with something cool to maintain your popular profile? This perspective on social media has become a way of life, and this mindset is tearing apart the confidence and uniqueness of users of all ages. Due to the influential presence of technology, social media has catapulted human interaction to a whole new level: one that has a poisonous effect on its users. Sites such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook that keep us connected with so many have actually disconnected us from the real world. Nowadays it is normal for social media users to always want people to know what they are doing and whom they’re with, so they post about it for everyone to see. Now social media is almost like a popularity contest, with everyone seeking the approval of others. Though these problems seem detrimental, under our control they can be avoided. Happiness and self-worth can be found in countless other places rather than in front of the computer screen or in the palm of your hand. Remember, people who know you don’t care about the image you put online, so wasting time trying to present the coolest ‘you’ is an irrelevant task.
Hailey Erickson
Gilbert, Arizona
