How Social Media Influenced Me

Why I don’t have Social Media 

As I was growing up social media became more prominent in every day life. I remember at a young age being mesmerized by graphics on the computer, and being excited to text my friends at the touch of a screen. When I received my first phone, everybody wanted to text and keep their every move updated on Facebook and Instagram. Throughout the years I’ve seen technology grow in advance, but it has also began to change my perspective on how beneficial it truly is during our young ages. Early in high school I deleted most of my social media, originally just doing so to focus on school, as I knew the workload would be much different from my previous years in junior high. I didn’t intend to stay off social media as long as I have, but as time progressed in high school I felt as though the break encouraged a more present and “in the moment” response from me, that I wouldn’t have developed if I was staring at a screen all the time. Everybody has the same surprised reaction when I tell them i don’t have Instagram, or Facebook or tiktok, but in the long run I realized it was one of the best decisions I could’ve made. Because I got rid of my socials early in high school, I don’t feel as pressured to look a certain way to please others over the internet. I don’t feel pressured to get a certain amount of likes or praise based on a photo, and I don’t feel like I constantly have to compete with others for the most followers. Once I began stepping away from social media I realize how dependent people are on their socials, and how toxic it can be if not mediated properly. 

In my own personal life many of my friends have struggled with self esteem issues due to the false representation people propose on social media, and tends to make many us feel as though they are not doing as well as they should be or they don’t fit the exact image that people find flattering. I myself have also compared my appearance to the Instagram perfect images we see thrown in our faces on a daily basis, but I also have to remind myself that almost everything is altered on the Internet these days in order to appeal to what people consider perfect. Although I know social media isn’t the healthiest environment for me, there are still days when I feel like I’m missing out. After I graduated high school I considered making an Instagram again to connect with more people my age, and also wanted to keep up with my old friends. even though somedays I have urges to creep on the platform again, I feel as though it’s healthier for me to not get wrapped up in the amount of views or likes I receive, and instead be as present as possible with the time that has been given to me. Straying away from social media has helped me remain focused on the bigger picture, and enjoy true quality time with my friends and the people I care about. One day I might get back on social media, but for now I’m fine with keeping things as simple as possible.