In times like these it seems as though social media is everywhere you look.
You wake up and check social media, then go to bed and check social media, and in times like these, it is hard to differentiate what is a real interaction and what is simply a text message when there is separation in everything.
When there is little opportunity for face-to-face contact, we reach for our phones to replace what once was.
When wrapped up in this almost mystical face-tuned, filter-perfect world, we then are faced with the isolation of being in our childhood bedrooms and feel as though these seemingly perfect lives that are so different from ours are unattainable.
The thing is – it’s not real. It is a single snapshot, a filtered part of someone’s day, and for all the other hours, their realities are perhaps far different than that perfectly edited picture.
The following accounts helped me better realize that and shape this newfound understanding that there is a world beyond the edited and that your feed should push you forward, especially in times like these.
- Doodled Wellness @doodledwellness is run by a PhD Clinical Psychology Student, with creative posts and tips to help with mental health; it has over 60k followers.
- Humans of University @humansofuniveristy is an instagram account with university students from all around the globe sharing a bit of themselves to realize that we are more connected than we previously thought. This account has over 149k followers.
- Humans of New York @humansofny has over 11 million followers and shares moving stories through interviews with people from New York; these stories serve as ways to connect one another and notice that despite our differences, we are all together in a way.
- The Happy Broadcast @the_happy_broadcast is filled with positive news and has over 575k followers. It is good news that is described as having a positive impact on one’s mental health, and it is illustrated too!
All these accounts have something unique and positive to offer, making us feel more connected in a socially distant world!