Growing up in a society full of social media and where popularity depends on the amount of likes you get on a picture can be extremely hard on a person. Teenagers today focus so much on how they look through the internet that they don't actually show who they really are. Teens try to show themselves in a light that they think will give them the most likes so they can feel important or popular. While doing this they create a false sense of self and in turn forget who they truly are. They forget all the of the amazing qualities within them. They forget that their self worth is more than the amount of likes or favorites they get on a post. They forget this online persona is not who they truly are.

Boy and girls, you are all so much more than that. Each and every person on this earth is amazing and they are so much more than a profile online. We need to remember as individuals that we are amazing in our own way and we should never be afraid to show who we really are. Never be afraid to be you. If only we could all be open to getting to know one another without making judgments based off of what society thinks is "cool." Why judge a classmate from a post or picture on social media? Why not get to know who they are instead? Take time to talk to your classmates, get to know them. We need to stop judging one's worth off of social media. Everyone is worthy and everyone deserves a chance to be known.

There is no reason that just because someone doesn't have very many followers or puts up low resolution or low quality pictures that they should be ignored or not be befriended. My friends, if you chose your friends off the judgement of social media, then you are missing out on some amazing friendships. You are missing out on meeting new people that are different than you but could still brighten your life. It's okay to be friends with people who have different interests or dress different. It's okay to be friends with people of different cultures or backgrounds. It's okay to be diverse. Sometimes the greatest friends in life are the ones who are completely different than you. You know what they say, opposites attract.

Who cares how many followers you have or how many likes you got on your latest Instagram post? You shouldn't and neither should anyone else. Go out there and be you and encourage others to be who they are. Learning to be you and to love you is good for the soul. Be happy, be friendly and stop judging. Focus more on getting to know one another instead of judging one another's profiles. Who knows, maybe you'll meet your newest best friend.