We grew up in a generation unique to any other because of one invention: the internet. We are the first generation that doesn’t know what it is like not to have the internet. Therefore, the effects of the internet will be first shown through us. We can already see the way it has altered our world. For instance, with the internet, we are more connected with each other than ever before. Social media is the hub of networking and connecting with people all over the globe.
There are so many amazing opportunities one can gain from using social media but it is very easy to create a profile that will deter you from growing and succeeding. I made my first profile on the platform Instagram when I was 14 years old. Looking back, I wish I would have waited longer to create one because I didn’t know how to use it properly. As a child, I was very impressionable and seeing all the celebrities on Instagram made me believe that I should look that way even as young as I was. I thought that everyone else had clear skin and no belly fat. Obviously, I didn’t know the editing tools that manipulated the very pictures I was viewing, which leads me to my first step..
Don’t believe everything you see.
There are so many ways nowadays to edit your pictures and give yourself a tan, or take off a little fat on your waist, or even whiten your teeth. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good filter. However, you should feel confident enough with the picture before the edit. Understand that your standard of beauty should not come from an altered picture. Next time you go on your explore page, remember that pictures lie.
Only follow and accept people who bring you up.
For personal accounts, it’s important that you create an uplifting space with followers that are positive. If you follow people that make you upset or remind you of a bad past, delete them. It’s time to be selfish. Think about it this way, before the internet, if you didn’t like someone, you’d just hope that you wouldn’t run into them and you probably wouldn’t. With social media, you will constantly “run into” that person.
Don’t worry about likes.
Unless instagram promotion is your job, you shouldn’t be worrying about likes. I understand that some people need to worry about likes because it is how they put food on the table but for personal accounts that is not the case. You should be posting not for the likes but because the picture brings you joy. The next time you post, turn you notifications off and dont log in until the next day.
These are just 3 tips to helping you create a social media platform that is positive and beneficial. If you ever feel that social media is giving you bad self image or you’re too consumed by it, delete the app for a few days and evaluate why you have an instagram. It might be for the wrong reasons.