I remember the first time I posted an Instagram picture. It was a quote from Marilyn Monroe. “Imperfect is beauty, madness is genius and it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.” After I posted that picture I immediately wanted to post another one and another and another. But my friends told me that I could not post more than one a day.
Ever since the day I got part of the social media world, there were rules you had to follow in order to have people like you. “Post at night to get the most likes.” “If you do not get a lot of likes just delete it.”
One day a couple years later, I posted two pictures in one day. I got ridiculed for something as dumb as putting a picture that I loved on my own page. Many times I would get nervous to post a picture on social media because I didn’t know if it was “insta worthy” or if people would not like it. If people would make fun of me. FOR ONE PICTURE. I would get myself so worked up over a simple task. I cared so much about what others thought that I could not make social media my own world. It was adding to all the anxiety I already had.
When I finally realized that I was getting controlled by the internet, I stopped caring. People are not their posts. Their usernames. They are real people. I post as much as I want. As much as I feel. I post whenever I want. I post whatever I want. And the world is still turning.
YOU DO NOT have to be someone different on social media. You do not have to hide your true self when others are looking. No one is as happy as they look on social media. There is always more to the story.
So look beyond the screen. Use what we have for good. For creating. For art. Social media is not the real world. So make it your own. Be true. Be you. And if people don’t like what you post, then they don’t need to be your follower. Remember you are the one in control. Do not let social media control you. Do not let others take away your soul. Especially online.
xoxo
Sky