Let's Be Real

Turn Off Your Phone - By Skyler

The constant exposure to watching what others do in a day on social media platforms is fostering comparison anxiety stronger by the day. But let's be honest: their best moments and achievements create an unrealistic day, and they gain a following that strives to be like them.

And, even though the tiniest part of us knows their days are unrealistic, we let that slip away and feel pressure to conform to a fake life.  We feel compelled to a certain lifestyle; most of us in our teen years are trying to live a certain way to “have that body,” “get into that college,” or “live an entertaining social life,” but we aren’t living the life that makes us happy or unique from others.

It's all being forced upon us to live a life that doesn't fit our character. And I especially have let it take over. As every school year begins, I feel overwhelmed, but I cannot pinpoint the exact cause. It was most likely a mix of homework and having to settle into a new routine for the school year, but I never understood why it got so overpowering. As I sat and contemplated, I realized it is the high expectations social media brings because we all live in the same competition. And I constantly compete with myself for success.

Every school year, I lose myself a little as the sun drifts away and the early sunsets begin. Although I try not to spend much time on social media, I find myself scrolling, usually before bed. My for-you pages are constructed into “day in my life” videos where I watch what people do in a day, and I fall asleep with the mindset of how I will attempt to live that fake life the next day.  

I believe I have to “study like this” to get into that college she got into or do “that workout” to look like her, so I try and aim my day to look like hers; meanwhile, another girl on “my for you page” contradicts the girl I was watched the night prior with a different workout routine and a different form of studying to achieve certain goals. So, I try to form a fake routine all over again.

However, one of my goals for the New Year is to build a daily routine that fits my goals and happiness. The only way to make this happen is to skip over other people's “day in my life” videos.  I need to keep my mindset positive and focused on me … The Real Me. Though it's only been 21 days since I started this journey, that unknown feeling of being overwhelmed has slowly slipped away as I started making choices that resonated with me. Social media will only grow from here, so experience your own life, set your goals without the filter of social media, and be The Real You. You are unlike any other!

By: Skyler Glodek