We live in an age where our worth is determined by how many likes, followers, and great comments we can get on our social media accounts. For each generation, there was a struggle to search for a sense of identity. Now, this struggle is becoming more brutal in the digital age because social media has made the world much smaller and, therefore, leaves a person less space to figure themselves out.

We all feel insecure about ourselves one way or another. The most common thing that people are insecure about is the way they present themselves. They care about their looks, appearance, and reputation because it might be their only main source of confidence. The outward persona--what you want people to see--will not matter. Caring about what people think about you deprives you of your identity and dignity. You are giving people who do not matter power over your life the more you give into your image.

You live an empty experience because you are living as someone else. You are living as a person who is afraid to break. You prevent people who can be actually genuine from entering your life because you care more about your Instagram followers than the people who are right in front of you. You want people to view you as a person who has the cool experiences, the cool friends, the cool vacations, the cool fashion sense. Yet, you are forgetting that none of these things are real.

Do not be fooled by the plastic surgery. Do not be fooled by the new diet trends. Do not be fooled by the million dollar smile. In reality, people are just as insecure as you are and they want to get a feeling of fulfillment. They believe if they become a certain way, they will earn respect. Their egos will inflate to the point when they become trapped in their own vanity, a world that is completely far from the imperfect world that we live in.

No matter how much people try to convince others they have it all together, they don't. They are living in fantasy land if they think they will automatically earn your respect with a nice social media post. A pretty face is only but a mask. The personality behind the pretty face should match up to it. It's unfortunate that the insecurity that people feel keep them from expressing their personalities. People become envious, upset, disgusted, narcissistic or angry for the dumbest reasons and they act fake as hell just to prove that they are "cool."

Farther down the line, people will not be happy with themselves if they have this type of mindset. If used poorly, social media desensitizes people from society. They can be trapped in their own little bubbles filled with unrealistic expectations, confusion, and loneliness. Your life is not perfect, so why continue to pretend to be something that you are not?

Social media is designed to strengthen connections--not to divide them. By focusing on how many followers you have, whether or not you look good in your selfies, the types of comments you receive or whatever the stupid reason may be, do not let social media control your life. You will be paying the consequences if you choose to value social media over yourself, not the people who apparently "adore you."