The Sad Truth Behind Social Media
“Insta vs. reality!” Something we’ve all probably heard at least once in our lives. Let’s be honest though, it’s sadly the truth.
What we see on social media is a lot different then what actually goes on in real life. There’s even a huge handful of people that are so much different than how they act behind the screen. Statistics show that 40% of people get cyber bullied. That’s almost half! I remember going into middle school mad at my mom for not letting me get social media, I told her “All of my friends have it, why can’t I?” and she gave me the response “It’s not safe.” I was livid; I never understood why she said that or what could be so bad about it, but now I finally understand how dangerous it really can be.
Anyone can pretend to be someone they aren’t, like an old man pretending he’s some teenage supermodel just to get closer to younger women. It’s scary and sad and honestly there’s really no way to know the truth unless you actually know the person. Seeing all of these models on Instagram can truly hurt people as well, especially women. Everyone wants to look like them and then feel like that’s the expectation for men. It’s a dangerous game that social media plays against the real world, and most things on there aren’t nearly as close to as real as they are in person.
Looking back on videos from when I was a kid, when I had no social media, I was so happy. I was living in the moment, didn’t care what I looked like and didn’t feel like I always had to impress everyone or be scared. I compare those memories to my memories now. It hurts me to see how much easier times were and how much happier I was. Social media ruined me, ruined my true self and ruined my happiness.
The internet is so toxic to so many people. As much and I wish I could stand up for everyone and as much as I wish I could make things better and like they used to be, I just can’t and unfortunately I’ll have to get used to it like everyone else has or will. Everyone says life will go on but really if we think about it, we just get used to it and we go on. Thinking back to when our parents were younger, they never had any social media. They lived in the moment enjoying life and what they approached. Life wasn’t perfect and never will be but it was a lot better than how we’re living today, always trying to impress people and always being glued to our phones.
