Imagine this: you wake up, roll over in bed, turn your phone’s alarm off, and start scrolling through your Instagram feed. You’re honestly not sure what’s so important about doing this, but you do it anyways. Today it looks like she’s in Greece (for the fourth time), he met and got a picture with Steph Curry, she’s almost impossibly skinny and fit at the same time, he’s relaxing at his summer lake house, and she has such a great relationship with her dad that they’re road tripping cross-country together.
Of course, the photos they posted are absolutely beautiful. You wonder how these people got so lucky. Maybe all you have to look forward to right now is your next 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. shift at a fast food joint, maybe you aren’t particularly fond of the way your body looks, and maybe you can’t even imagine ever finding the time or the funds to get out of your home state. Either way, the green-eyed monster of Instagram has lured you in. Now, you’re comparing your life, your looks, and your privileges to those of others.
In order to defeat the somewhat inevitable wrath of Instagram envy, you have to realize that most people use Instagram as a means of showing others only the best: the best experiences they’ve had, the best outfits they own, the best places they’ve travelled, the best hair day they’ve had in awhile, etc. It's unlikely that you'll come across a selfie of someone who hasn’t gotten out of bed all day because they’re so depressed or a photo of a couple 20 minutes post-breakup. You’re only going to see the best parts of people and the best parts of their lives. It’s not necessarily a conscious act. Obviously, most of us want to post photos that will seem salient and interesting to others. After all, interesting photos are what your followers want to see. Ironically, the cooler your photo is and the cooler it makes you seem, the more envious viewers can become.
And who could forget the sought-after Instagram “likes”: the positive reinforcers that keep us posting more, more, and more? First of all, getting a high amount of likes is the goal of many Instagram users. So, remember that when you come across a breathtaking photo. The poster was trying to make it look good. After all, anything less than an average quality photo would be embarrassing and unworthy of likes, right?
Behind many seemingly perfect Instagram photos that get tons of likes, there are often long, effortful processes. Some people consult iPhone group chats with friends and ask, “Guys, which one should I ‘Insta’?” some use multiple apps to edit their photos, and some snap about 30 photos before they’re satisfied with the final product. If you ever find yourself envious of the number of likes someone’s photo gets, try to remember why you downloaded the Instagram app in the first place. It shouldn’t be a big competition to see who gets the most likes. Instead, it should be a fun platform to peacefully share photos with your friends.
All in all, Instagram has the power to make lives look perfect. From the time and editing that oftentimes go into each post, to the drive to receive a large number of likes, to the hope that we look happy, successful, and like we “have it all together” in our posts, Instagram isn’t necessarily the most real place. Since you know that a perfect life isn’t possible, you can realize that your Instagram envy simply isn’t logical. Try not to spend too much time comparing yourself to others based on what they have strategically chosen to post on Instagram. You are you, you have what you have in life, you look the way you look, and all of this makes you an individual human being. Don't let the Instagram posts of others make you forget what you have to be thankful for.
