Instaggression
“I wish I could buy the dress she is wearing”
“I am ugly, look how perfect she is”
“Why can’t I travel like him?”
“I wish I had abs like his”
“My life sucks, I am a looser”
With the rise of social media, such thoughts have completely occupied our minds.
I can bet social media has made you think one of these phrases which then
constantly disturb your mind.
Behind the glitz and glam of the “Insta life” we all are normal human beings who
live real, normal and imperfect lives. Today majority of us suffer from what I
call as the “instaggression” – Instagram depression that turns into aggression.
We all dream of living the perfect life by looking at all the celebrities and
influencers on social media. We want to have the perfect house, the perfect
skin, the perfect body and even a perfect partner and the never ending list
continues but the reality is that life is never perfect, it was never meant to
be. It is our imperfections and struggles that make us who we are.
The social media has made us delusional and we strive day and night to be
perfect but this constant pressure is killing us from inside and sadly we don’t
even realize that. Under this pressure we are losing all that we have- our
mental peace, self-confidence, loved ones and so much more.
This is a prevailing social issue that is affecting nearly all of us. The
“deceiving social media life” has led to a high increase in depression, family
issues and even suicide rates.
Being in a Pakistani society we already live under so much pressure and social
media has made it even worse. It has led to many “unrealistic expectations and
unfulfilled desires” that has put people, especially youngsters in severe
depression. They are unable to realize that how hard their parents have to
struggle to provide them with the possessions and lifestyle which they flaunt on
social media just to gain appreciation in the form of likes and comments.
Little do we realize that social media is a platform that was created for
socializing but unfortunately it has been transformed into a “competing and
comparing” platform where every day we constantly compare ourselves to one
another in every way possible. This comparison has disastrous effects on our
lives. It leads to unrealistic expectations, unnecessary arguments and fights
which destroys relationships. Just because XYZs husband gifted her a diamond
ring and yours didn’t doesn’t mean you start arguing and destroy your precious
relationship. We all are blessed in different ways so there is no need for
comparison.
Moreover there are many people who are burdening themselves with loans in order
to pay for the lifestyle which they cannot otherwise afford. They are doing this
only so that they can keep up and flaunt among their friends and peers. But we
need to ask ourselves is it really worth it?
Many youngsters are losing their self-confidence and doubting their self-worth
because social media has set unrealistic standards in terms of looks, material
possessions and others. Rather than focusing on being productive they are
constantly trying to meet these standards and make themselves “insta worthy.
“Please understand the number of your followers or likes on your pictures do not
define who you are. You are much more than that.
Also as a result suicidal rates have also increased as people who are unable to
cope up with this pressure find it easier to end their lives. This is how social
media has been impacting our lives without us even knowing.
Recent suicide by famous celebrities and bloggers show us that life is not as
perfect as it seems on social media.We fail to realize that what we see on
social media is what people want us to see. We never know what happens behind
the closed doors. You don’t know the pain, agony, hard work and struggle a
person is going or has gone through.
Also make sure that when you compare yourselves to influencers and celebrities
on how “pretty and perfect” they look, you do realize that there is a lot of
effortthat goes in there including makeup, lightning, editing etc. and it is a
part of their job so it is not at all fair that you compare yourself to them. I
also encourage influencers and celebrities that they should also convey this
message to their followers and give them a dose of reality so that they are not
deceived and this misunderstanding is cleared.
So please don’t starve yourself when you see a model with a perfect body, do not
complain when you see a friend having a fancy meal, do not doubt yourself when
you see an acquaintance getting a better job, do not feel worthless when you see
a happy couple- do not put yourself or your loved ones under any unnecessary
pressure.
Try to understand that life cannot be picture perfect”. Facial scars are real,
breakups happen, failures and mistakes are common and depression is real. There
is nothing in this world as perfect. It is our imperfections that make us who we
are. Do not put yourself or your loved ones under pressure or constant stress
because of what you see on social media. Always remember that what you have is
more than enough. Be grateful for the things and the people around you.
So the next time you see someone better than you on social media, smile and hit
the like button and know that you are better in your own way. Appreciate others
and most importantly your own self because you are worth it.