I'm an avid social media user. I use Instagram, Facebook, and at one point, I also used Twitter and Snapchat, before I realized that all of these apps weren't really necessary and decided to take a step back. Social media has undoubtedly become the best tool for learning what's going on in the world and keeping in touch with people who we'd otherwise probably never see again. But, since graduating college and taking a partial step back from the social media scene, I've been able to see things from a new perspective.

The biggest thing I've noticed is that social media has become a platform for bringing everything into the spotlight except for our true selves. By letting other things take precedence in our lives like trends, ideas, strangers we don't know, etc. we end up fading ourselves & our individual needs into the background. I'm not talking about our actual presence going away, but rather our own individual interpretations to the things were exposed to.

Everybody has their own personal spotlight they carry with themselves with their social media accounts; but the spotlight typically never depicts your true self, it's usually only a reflection of whatever trend is popular this week to please others. And nobody consciously has these intentions, but most people want to seem like they're another level above the crowd on social media, and the result is that we all end up looking like identical types of people playing "keeping up with the Joneses" and forget about who we are as unique individuals.

The first thing most people do when they wake up in the morning is react to whatever they see on the internet, instead of bringing awareness to how they feel and what their thought patterns are. I've seen Instagrams with millions of followers, with girls and guys dressed to a T, posing like they're on America's Next Top Model in a random grocery store, movie theater, next to a huge house that isn't their own, etc. Part of me accepts everyone as is, but it's interesting to observe so many people in the world feel pressure to be nothing more than eye candy and find more satisfaction in seeming rather than being.

I'd like to blame it on the fact that that's "just our generation." But in reality, we all make decisions to act a certain way in everything we do, and we need to take responsibility for it. What do you define yourself by? The number of likes you get on a picture, or how you felt in the moment that picture was taken? How do you measure your success? By comparing yourself to the person next to you, or by figuring out what your limits are, and how far you can push them? Don't get me wrong, it's not only great to feel confident, but it's essential. But it's also essential to step back and remind yourself who you're really putting yourself out there for, you or them? Do you feel like the things you express are an accurate representation of yourself or an accurate representation of what's trending at the moment?

Most people don't post photos on Instagram, speak up on Twitter, or advocate on Facebook, about the things they truly love and admire. And we don't express our passions to the world because we're afraid. Afraid of other people judging us, afraid to get out of our comfort zone, afraid that we'll fail. And that's when chronic unhappiness kicks in. That's when anxiety, insecurity, and depression kick in. But if you're at an event you love, or want to share exciting news, or like that picture of yourself where your hair's out of place and the lighting isn't the best, why are you hesitant to post it? You might think you look awkward, or not good enough, but compared to what? That's exactly how you looked in that moment, and you gotta accept it. Because a picture, a status update, or a tweet, is supposed to be a raw and real example of a moment in time and appreciated just so.

There's something to say about having something to say because trying to please everyone only forces you to hold yourself back. So share that exciting news that might not be everyone's cup of tea, post that picture that you look GENUINELY happy in but the lighting's not great, and tell those insecurities and doubts in your mind to fuck off, because living inside your comfort zone is no fun at all and following a herd of sheep will only get you lost.