Am I Getting “Liked” On Valentine’s Day?!

           Hello my friends! It’s that time of year, again. Valentines Day! It’s all about a day of getting flowers, chocolates, and diamond rings… Well, not exactly. Today, it’s a day for me to talk to you all about Instagram and the negative effects social media can have on us, and not just one day a year on V-day, but everyday.

       Today is going to be the day that everyone will check their social media to see who got that diamond ring, or big-ass box of heart shaped chocolates… and yes, some of you will look at these posts and feel down about yourselves. But you know what’s CRAZY? This is actually an every day act we put ourselves through at least 15 times a day. I’ve noticed that somehow through the years of having social media it has become more of an obligation, than just being on the apps to have fun. How messed up is that? We have become aliens to the outside world, for that need of constantly doing social media. More importantly, I want to focus on Instagram. Yes, we all know the benefits of Instagram, of course. What we don’t talk about enough, though, is the negative aspects of Instagram. All that stuff that makes us feel bad about ourselves, like the amount of likes someone gets, the consistency of posting to stay relevant, and then the thousands of followers one feels the need to have in order to be popular. Well, that’s fake news, but Instagram for real makes us feel like that stuff is real.

      When it comes to the amount of likes a picture gets, do you ever feel like you’re not getting enough? Let me answer that, I do. It has become this norm, almost, for people to feel like shit if they haven’t received in the hundreds for their likes. It’s almost, as if Instagram is forcing people to place their identity in their app, therefore “likes” become some form of recognition for attractiveness, popularity… all of the above. Then, we become concerned about comparison of “likes” to our friends, and why? BECAUSE SOCIAL MEDIA SOCIETY HAS TRAINED US TO BELIEVE THAT WE CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT THEIR APPROVAL, AND IT’S NOT TRUE. Now, let’s talk about this need to take photos, and not like 3 photos, but 30 pics just to get that only good one. Now, let’s not act like we haven’t all done that, get a burst of about 20 pics, delete about 17 of them, edit the crap out of the other 3, and then post at that good hour just to get those “likes.” It’s okay, I’ve been there. I feel like taking pictures should be a form of enjoyment to capture that moment that makes a memory last forever, but once it becomes a task to get the “right” picture it’s just not fun anymore. I have literally driven to a diner, purchased a milkshake that I never even drank, just to get that super cute Instagram picture… and I’m just here to tell you, life doesn’t always have to be that extra anymore. Lastly, all those damn followers. Look, I think it’s become this ordeal to have thousands of followers… but I just have to ask, WHO KNOWS THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE? Uh, not me. Don’t ever let an app like Instagram make you question your worth.

So on a day like Valentine’s Day, whether that may be your favorite holiday, or your most hated holiday; Let me just tell you that if you’re feeling lonely today… Don’t make it worse by feeling lonelier everyday. Because sometimes Instagram makes us feel alone, and it’s okay to just turn it all off, and feel together again.

So now this post would be nothing if I didn’t give ya’ll my personal advice; Here’s my Top 5!

1. Delete Instagram… (or at least detox for a couple of weeks)
2. Post silly pictures for the hell of it, because you’re beautiful no matter what angle you use.
3. Remove those random followers you have, cause uh… creepy, new phone who dis?
4. Go to a diner with your friends, get a milkshake, and drink it.
5. Realize that Instagram is just an app… Don’t take it so seriously!!

Anyways, that’s all I got for you friends! Enjoy your Valentines/Gal-entines Day!!!

( & Stay off Instagram, eat chocolate instead!)

Featured Image: “Social Media Screen” Website: Pexels.com