Your Coachella expectations are unrealistic.
Don’t worry, it’s not your fault. Every year, during Coachella, my social media feed is overtaken by influencers and celebrities posting about the festival. I have always wanted to go, but I realized this past weekend that my Coachella experience would be nothing like the influencers I see.
First off, social media is a highlight reel. Nobody posts about the hours of walking you do in the hot weather, or the impossible trek to get to the festival. I’ve always thought Coachella was about the outfits and the music- because that’s the only thing we are shown on social media. But, that’s not the reality. Tik Tokker Remi Bader recently made a bunch of Tik Toks opening up about her “realistic” Coachella experience. Dare I say, it looked disappointing and underwhelming. She tells her millions of followers “Coachella is a little overrated…I’m standing in a field by myself.”
Hearing this made me realize how much social media affects our perceptions of reality. Not only that, but it makes us feel like we are always missing out on something. In a way, we never feel fulfilled because we can always log on to see something we weren’t a part of. It’s a draining cycle that has been perpetuated by the rise of influencers over the past couple years. Coachella is a primary example of social media creating a false reality. Yes, there are obviously fun and amazing parts of Coachella (like Harry Styles and Shania Twain!), but it’s also important to remember that the pictures and videos we see are carefully calculated. People are only showing the best parts- much like social media in general.
It’s important for influencers and celebrities to be transparent with their followers- which is not an easy feat. Bader’s videos detailing her experiences at Coachella marked the first time I heard someone speak even slightly negatively about the festival. It made me wonder- what other things do I feel like I’m missing out on, that turn out the same?
As we head into the second weekend of Coachella, remember that you are not missing out because you aren’t there. Social media can be a hard place, especially because of the FOMO that comes with it. Recently, I’ve had to step back and remember that we are all the same- just people staring at a screen!