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In a world that “does it for the Insta[gram],” most social media users are not presenting their “real self” to the world. Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, and Twitter are only some of the social media platforms that allow people to craft their “ideal self” to other users. Digital media allows us to showcase the positive aspects of our lives, such as a new job, vacation, a significant other while omitting the not-so-desirable life moments.
Social networking sites have helped us to maintain our local and global relationships. Some users that “follow” one another on social media believe that they personally know the individual. Users make assumptions through the content that a user has deemed as appropriate for their page, but what truly makes a person who they are the events that they cannot censor in their life.
The famous idiom “a picture is worth a thousand words” stands for the idea that an image conveys more information than a description. However, most of the photos on our news feeds communicate nothing more than being posed or forced to reflect an individual’s sense of their perfect self. We consider our social media accounts to be presentations of ourselves, and we want to ensure that we are presenting “brands” in the most ideal manner.
When I first began to use social media platforms, I was concerned with presenting the best version of myself to my followers. But as these platforms began to lose their novelty within the past few years, I now give little to no thought on my social media presence. I am a firm believer in making a good impression, therefore, I try to ensure that my social media reflects that belief.
For instance, LinkedIn is a social media platform that I utilize to try to network with other professionals. Therefore, I think it is of chief importance on that platform to foster positive relationships with other users. I attempt to frame my accomplishments in an engaging and attractive manner in hopes to make connections with professionals in my desired industry.
While I am often envious of lifestyle bloggers that seem to be constantly traveling and sporting the latest trends, I remind myself that they are simply sharing the idealistic version of themselves. Social media fosters a world in which we are constantly comparing ourselves to others, but it is important to remember that the individual is choosing to share only the positive and exciting aspect of their lives.
Our individualistic culture influences the crafting of one’s ideal image on social media due to the emphasis placed on competition and achievement. Social media allows us to “show and tell” our accomplishments with others. We are constantly telling our followers to look at us and look at what we have.
In the current digital age, it is important for us to remember that a “like” happens with the senseless click of a button. Rather than assembling the ideal version of your identity on social media it is important to be authentic. Don’t measure your self-worth by a number of likes your post attracts, but rather in your character.
Showcase the love, pain, and losses that make you who you are on social media. The person you are online should align with the real you. If you wish that you were the way you appear on social media, then work towards your goals to make your ideal self a reality. I challenge you to not do things in life for a photo, but to do them out of pure enjoyment. Our happiness is measured in the moments that awaken and renew our souls and not in the number of likes of our Instagram photo.
PHOTO TAKEN by Brett O’Grady
