Let’s face it, social media is a HUGE part of our society today. It’s no secret that we are all scrolling on Instagram or Facebook each time we catch a free or boring moment during the day. But when I really start to think about what social media is doing to our society, I get a little bit nervous… especially when I think about the younger generations coming up in this socially savvy world.

I can’t even count how many times I’ve said, “I’m so glad we didn’t have Instagram or Snapchat when I was in school,” because that has to make the awkward years of middle and high school SO much worse. One bad hair day or boyfriend mistake used to take a full day to make it around the halls of our school, but today would only take a few seconds… scary…

Have you ever gotten off on Instagram with an “I wish I was… or I wish I could…” thought in your head? Did you shake your head? Yeah, me too! What we forget sometimes is that most people only post their very best photo or moment or accomplishment on social media because that’s what they want people to know. They want people to see that beautiful trip to the beach that they took or the best hair day they had not the mountain of homework or bills on their desk or the collection of zits they have on their face that day, BUT when we scroll down our feeds, we forget that! We just start compairing ourselves to them, giving them full permission to control our own perceptions of ourselves!  

And if we really want to face the truth, each and every one of us contribute to that hostility that we can all feel online. 

With that being said, it is all of our responsibility to stand up on our own social media and provide a good and safe platform for the younger generation to look at because whether we like it or not, that is where they spend most of their time and get their information. Just like us, younger kids today evaluate their worth on how many followers or likes that they have. The comparison game is HUGE.

There’s a beautiful conversation about social media on Jenna Kutcher’s Goal Digger Podcast that I will link here that dives deep into this topic, which is something that I believe we all need to hear. 

Hannah and I are just as guilty as middle school girls in letting social media influence how we think about ourselves and others around us, and really we have the control to ingest what we want and to follow some people and unfollow others, but really I think the magic is becoming secure enough in ourselves to be able to follow someone who only puts their best face on social media, a person that might have once made you feel inferior, and not let it sway us.

Maybe the first step is to unfollow those who make you feel inferior, and then work on making your inner voice louder than that person’s perfection that shows up in your feed everyday. Then one day, follow them back and see if they still make you feel that way. 

The moral of the story is to be kind, be genuine, and remember all of the kids today that live on social media. And if you catch yourself getting down because your life doesn’t seem as cool as others on Insta, log off for a while and go for a walk or listen to music. I’m telling you now that all of those feelings you get aren’t worth it!