Post #8 - 11 likes

I think it’s safe to say that social media plays a big role in our lives. It sure does for mine, and I can’t really imagine a world without it anymore. I’m not saying it’s the best for our well-being, I’m just saying it’s taken the world by storm and it’s here to stay. For me, it started with AIM. I had to BEG my parents in 6th grade to let me get an instant messaging account so I could fit in with the rest of my friends. Without it, I would miss out on everything that happened after school and be out of touch. That’s how this whole social media thing began for me, with a slow but steady progression into facebook, then twitter, and finally instagram (with a few tumblr stints along the way). I can spend hours cycling through these three (I like to refer to them as the “big three”) apps, looking at the same posts for hours. Each app is used for different purposes: Facebook for my occasional life updates and to stay in touch with extended family, and Twitter for dark humor and a good laugh. Instagram is a whole new ball game. Personally, I find Instagram to be the highest pressure social media that there is. With all of the instagram models and beautiful people doing exciting things, there’s a lot to take in. But also a lot to worry about, judge, and obsess over. I’ve had my instagram account for about 6 years, and the popularity of the app has only grown since I joined. In the beginning, very few people had it, so it was just a place to post photos, with no pressure of a “double post.” The pressure for likes (who remembers that 11th like tho) began to grow as more people joined the photo-exclusive app.


This is all very embarrassing to admit, but it’s been a total roller coaster ride of self-esteem issues ever since I downloaded the instagram app. At my lowest point, I can remember uninstalling it during my freshman year of college because I just wasn't getting as many likes on my photos as my friends were. I felt so low and I was letting people decide my worth by how many likes I got on a selfie. I only went without the app for a few days, and I’m not going to say it was a total turning point for my self-esteem, but I eventually found peace with the app and everything I thought it was about. I’m not even sure when it happened, but I don’t care so much now about how many likes I’m going to get, and I definitely do not overshare anymore. I used to feel like I had to take a photo for whatever I was doing, and that was the point in my life when I had the lowest self-esteem. Since taking a step back from the pressures of instagram, I’ve become a lot happier with my REAL life. I don’t let just random people follow me anymore, and I even go out of my way to remove the people that probably don’t follow me because they actually care about me (I’m somewhat petty but if you follow me to hate me I don’t need that). And I think the best change I’ve made is that I’m a lot more real with my posts, and I’m not trying to be something that I’m not anymore. I kind of feel like this is the “coming-of-age” story for your typical American teen. The obsession is still there, and admittedly I’m selective with what I post, but I’m at a better mental state not caring about the likes or followers anymore. So yes, instagram has changed me in countless ways. I feel lucky that I’ve finally found a good balance with my self esteem and all of my social media.