By Kaia Lee
Have you ever FaceTimed one of your friends asking “Should I post this?”
This is a common interaction between teenagers with social media—specifically Instagram. The need for validation from others and the strive for a carefully curated online identity is a recurring theme among the youth today.
First, you should let go of others’ opinions and validation of you. If you think you look good in a photo or want to post something, just do it! You shouldn’t have to worry that people may judge you or think it is not “Instagram-worthy”. Social media should be an expression of yourself, not what others think you should be. I have often not posted a picture because a friend said it was not aesthetic enough or they didn’t like my expression in it—it made me start to doubt my taste and my entire Instagram. I have spent way too much time stressing over my Instagram profile and rearranging the photos on my profile, when in reality there is only one person who really needs to like it: myself. This is not to say you shouldn’t make your Instagram aesthetically pleasing, or try to make it look cohesive, but to not let others’ opinions of you overshadow your own. Have fun with it!
Additionally, the media is such a small representation of who you are. Every photo you see is such a small slice of every person’s life. You can’t tell everything about someone from a single photo. Thinking “I wish I was them” or “I wish I had their life” is not a conclusion you can come to based on a handful of deliberately chosen photos. So stop comparing your life to another’s, when in reality you don’t know anything about them. They, just like you, have their own unique characteristics that make them who they are; you can’t see these qualities through your screen.
So next time you are about to hit the call button or about to be jealous of someone’s aesthetic Instagram, take a step back and think about your identity outside of social media.