We’ve all been there, scrolling through Instagram or TikTok, seeing everyone’s highlight reels (perfect outfits, perfect smiles, perfect adventures) and suddenly comparing our messy, real lives to theirs. It can hit hard. But here’s something to know: social media can be a space for growth…if you set it up right.
What Research Tells Us
●According to a Pew Research Center survey from 2025, 74% of U.S. teens say social
media helps them feel more connected to what’s going on with their friends, and about 63% say these platforms give them a place to show their creative side.
● On another note, the same survey found that 39% of teens feel overwhelmed by drama online, 31% feel pressure to post content that will get lots of likes or comments, and 27% say social media makes them feel worse about their own life.
● Another study (“Social Media and Mental Health: Benefits, Risks, and Opportunities”) reviewed 43 studies and found that while many young people benefit through self-expression, connecting with others, and finding support, excess use or harmful Comparison is strongly linked to anxiety, depression, and lower self-esteem.
Turning Comparison Into Confidence
Fitness and lifestyle content online often looks flawless, the perfect bodies, transformations, and aesthetics that seem so hard to reach. That constant exposure can make it easy to feel like personal progress isn’t enough. But what often gets forgotten is that social media is curated; it highlights the best moments, not the full story.
Focusing on growth instead of comparison changes the way social media feels. Progress isn’t measured by likes or followers but by consistency, learning new skills, and connecting with people in meaningful ways. The value comes in authentic engagement. From the comments, conversations, or quiet motivation that content can spark in someone else’s day.
On platforms like Her Campus at Bowie State, this approach means creating posts that are inclusive, relatable, and real. Whether the content highlights events, celebrates style, or encourages wellness, the goal is connection over perfection. When people see themselves reflected in that kind of content, social media becomes a tool for confidence rather than comparison.
Tips For Using Social Media To Grow
Here are a few simple things you can try to shift your feed from “comparison trap” to “growth space”:
● Clean your feed: Unfollow or mute accounts that make you feel worse about yourself. Follow people who inspire, teach, or just make you feel good.
● Share behind the scenes: Let people see your real, messy, imperfect bits. It builds
connection.
● Track your growth, not your likes: Keep an eye on how your content improves, or how your confidence grows.
● Limit time and set boundaries: It’s okay to step away. Screens off, music on, self-care mode.
Comparison might sneak in, but you can choose to use social media for something better: confidence, creativity, community. The posts you make, the stories you tell, the way you show up, they matter. Let your feed reflect you. Let it uplift, not weigh you down. You deserve your glow-up, online and off.