By Sanam Khalili
Growing up, most of us were told that college was going to be the best time of our lives. Endless parties, a whole new group of friends, and too many fun memories to count. With a social media crazed generation, these common positive conceptions about college are easy to believe. With Instagram feeds full of candid group pictures, Snapchat stories of raging parties, and Facebook photo albums full of cute (yet classy enough to be shared with that one aunt who likes everything on Facebook) photos, it seems as though every college student in America is in the prime of their lives. But what we see online isn’t always the most accurate depiction of reality.
We’ve all been there — in a bad mood, having a bad day for one reason or another, and you find yourself scrolling through Instagram and asking yourself why it seems like everyone else’s lives are better than yours. Maybe you’ve been drowning in homework, maybe you’re having trouble making new friends, maybe you’re homesick — but everyone else seems to have it all together and know the perfect filter to slap onto an Instagram post, too.
What you see on social media is not the real deal. No one has the perfect life, no matter how glamorous or fun it may seem. Social media fosters an idea that it is not OK to not be OK. It makes you feel alone in your struggle, whatever it may be. Young adults are made to be ashamed of their struggles, their weaknesses, their downfalls. There is a huge societal pressure for college students to take on more responsibility they can handle (whether it be balancing school, work, relationships), but it is looked down upon if they can’t handle it.
Anxiety, depression, sleep deprivation. These are all real things that young adults go through, yet no one feels as though they can speak out and seek help for whatever problems they are having. Young adults with anxiety and depression are made to feel as if this is something they should hide, or be ashamed of. They are made to feel like the outsiders. But, they’re not. In fact, 41.6% of college students in America have clinically diagnosed anxiety disorders. Think about how many more have not been diagnosed, or treated, because the student is too nervous or ashamed to seek help.
In a world where how many likes a picture gets online has become the new standard for a good life, it is important to realize that no one’s life is perfect. Everyone has their own problems. Some big, some small, but everyone goes through something. Talk to one another, seek help, and just know that you’re not alone. It is OK to not be OK.