Nobody is perfect, and it’s okay not to feel okay sometimes. You can’t expect every day to be happy because life gets us all down. The life we portray online is almost entirely different from reality. But why do we lie? Is it because we’re scared of telling the truth or simply because we want to live up to everyone’s expectations? It’s sad.
There’s always a certain pressure to be perfect; in the online world or the real world, it’s a perception to think we’re all ideal when, in fact, we’re not, and it portrays a very fake life.
The illusion of the perfect life could come from someone you admire. I, myself, look up to many people and see their livesgram and YouTube, and you look at it and would love to do what they do with their lives posted on Instaes. But has it ever crossed your mind that they will always post the good things? Sometimes, you can get emotional videos, but who’s to say it’s not staged and the subject changed to suit the video? The illusion of having it comes simply from what people usually put online.
Idolising certain people gives us the strategy of putting these people in our minds and giving them the perfect lives when, in reality, they’re probably struggling like we all are.
Nowadays, people are adamant about showing off their lives on social media so the world will see their ‘perfect’ life.
I’m sure sometimes you see pictures online that state ‘Reality vs Instagram’. It shows images of people slouching when taking photos of their stomachs, pulling funny faces, with no makeup or serious bed hair; yes, that’s reality. But then, when you compare it to what ‘Instagram’ wants to see, it’s pulling your trousers up to hide your hips, sticking your bum out and posing in angles that do not look comfortable, lots of makeup and looking different. There’s no reason we should be afraid to post what we look like on social media or what we’re doing in our lives, but for some, it’s feeling pressured to look good and portray the perfect life.
It’s safe to say that Instagram can have one of the most significant impacts on mental health, which is understandable when you’re scrolling through constantly seeing skinny girls in their bikinis, exploring the world. But Instagram is not always REAL. This is what people forget.
Instagram is the worst social media network for mental health and well-being, according to a recent survey of almost 1,500 teens and young adults.
You’ll see posts about people’s Christmas and the fact it was incredible, or they went on holiday and had the best time, surrounded by pictures. But when in reality, it could be they had a rubbish Christmas, but just because everyone is posting good things about theirs, they feel the need to as well.
It’s similar to why film directors only use the good scenes and scrap the others. Imagine you’re watching a film with every single part in it, no matter how long. It wouldn’t be very satisfying to watch and would not get any attention, which is exactly like social media. People would instead post what gets the most attention.
It’s sad to think that we often have to capture the moments of life to post on social media when we should focus on what’s in front of us. Whether we’re going away, going for food, or doing something different, we always have to post them to perfect’ life and emphasise the ‘ we live.
But the sad truth is, if you posted the bad things in your life, how many ‘Facebook friends’ would stick around before they get fed up? Yeah, not that many. Unfortunately, the online world doesn’t want to see the status every 5 minutes talking about the bad things in someone’s life.
People generally post positive aspects of their lives rather than negative ones, which is understandable.
This illusion of having the ‘perfect’ life can get to others. It’s like having someone constantly tell you daily what amazing things they’ve done that are good for them. But we can’t always have the life we want; we have to be happy with what we have, and if it’s not this ‘perfect’ life facade, then that’s ok because most of the time the people say they have it, don’t, remember that.
It’s ok not to be ok.
Sometimes, it may feel like you always have to be ok. But you can’t go through every day feeling happy all the time. It affects the way we feel mentally in a negative way. For those who struggle with mental health or grief, dealing with specific amounts of pressure can heighten how they think negatively. The thought of constantly feeling like they have to be happy is challenging.
It’s safe to say that we put on a mask to hide how we truly feel and show the world the ‘happier’ side of ourselves. Getting out of bed can be a challenge in itself, and the effects of suffering from depression are brutal. So, for some to think you have to be ‘happier’ can be impossible.
So, pretending you are happy and have this ‘perfect’ life whilst others are doing what you want to or are happier is a serious struggle. But you must remember that you will get there; just because you don’t feel like smiling right now doesn’t mean you have to give up. The expectations of living this life we see online aren’t reality; that is made for viewers’ attention because, in some cases, when you take that mask off, someone is struggling a lot underneath, so don’t believe everything you see online.
Don’t feel like you’ve failed yourself because your life isn’t ‘perfect’. Just appreciate what you can do and live in the moment; don’t strive to be someone you are not.
Everyone has problems. So, if you are genuinely suffering and need to talk to hide how you feel or who you are, You’re not a burden. If you share your feelings, you’ll feel like a weight has been lifted, but someone doesn’t, leaving you feeling relieved.
Life’s journey will have many ups and downs, shaping us into who we are today. It’s not going to be perfect, but it’s going to be what you make it. So ignore the posts you see online and do you and live your life without worrying whether it’s ‘perfect’ or not.
Remember, nobody is perfect, neither are our lives, and it’s ok not to be ok.
Call Samaritans on 116 123 or email them at jo@samaritans.org.
https://www.counsellorwhocares.co.uk
https://www.facebook.com/BeckyCares/
