When I was 13 years old, my parents gave me permission to download Instagram. I remember being so excited I could barely hold it together. I was finally going to be able to post cute pictures and share all about my life online. The steps to set it up were simple. Download the app, pick a username and password, and choose a profile picture. Sounds simple enough, right?
But what picture? A selfie? No, too close up; you can see my pimples. A candid? No, I look stupid not looking at the camera. How about just a regular picture of me smiling? God, I hate my smile. A 13-year-old shouldn’t be critiquing every little thing about herself, but this is what social media does, and it was only the beginning.Â
As time moved forward and my followers increased, my need to post the perfect pictures on my page increased as well. The pictures have to fit the vibe of my page, and the lighting can’t be too dark or too light. My makeup has to look perfect in every photo, and the angle of the picture must be flattering. Every post that popped on my feed of these beautiful, successful girls only made my drive to look perfect online go into hyperdrive. I wanted my page to look like theirs. The people who followed me needed to think I was aesthetic.
 I was 13 years old.Â
Thirteen.Â
Why was my brain already consumed with all these thoughts of comparison and self-negativity? Social media is supposed to be a platform where people can share beautiful moments in their lives. But that’s what it is: the beautiful moments. The pictures where the sunset perfectly drapes across the background of the photo, or where the picture was taken at the exact moment you burst into laughter with your friends.
Our society glamorizes the best parts of social media. It’s easy to fall into the comparison trap of constantly measuring your worth next to someone else’s you see on social media. I am still, to this day, working on being better about comparing myself to others.Â
It’s important to know that life is imperfect, and people are imperfect. It’s these imperfections that make us beautiful. It’s okay to post that picture that doesn’t have perfect lighting, or the picture that you think your smile looks weird in. Social media is about sharing your life, the good and the bad. Whatever that may mean to you, give yourself grace and remember that you’re not alone in your insecurities.Â