Anybody find it hard to not compare yourself to others on social media?

[pw_1016]

I understand that people only show their highlight reels on social media but i just find myself to be very jealous of people who have interesting enough lives to show off on social media. I don't really have friends but when i look at people's instagram posts where they are having a good time with their friends , I feel some kinda way. It also seems like everyone on there just travels all the time and has a lot of success in life. I actually like instagram because other content that i follow is motivational. I had to deactivate facebook recently because I got tired of seeing pictures of people's kids and people from my past that i no longer care about showing off their vacations plus people have some pretty silly status updates.

[Herky]

Most of social media is a show. I know multiple people who look like they have the perfect life on social media, when behind the scenes their life and or marriage is a mess. Some people especially that I just know through others would get drunk and fight all the time when we all would be at gatherings. The wife had multiple affairs and now they are divorced. On Facebook right up until they split they looked like the perfect family. Once we started hanging out in the same circles I saw it was all a lie.

Take it for what it is. A lot of people use social media to put on a good face.

[tinpanalley]

No, I don't. I just ignore it because it's not real life. Nobody happy needs to spend their life telling others they're happy, because they're too busy living their life and being happy or at least making an honest go at being happy. Ignore it. I promise you that the vast majority of people you see online, especially those with gorgeously edited photos, are in some way the opposite of what you see. Think about it: who has time to massively edit and process their regular photos just to tell strangers how happy they are? And even for friends, who shows their photos to their friends via social media? Wouldn't you just send those photos to your friends in a message if you wanted them to see them?

Social media is predominantly a lie and should not in any way be allowed to affect how you feel about anything, most of all your personal life.

[jeebs9]

Quote: Originally Posted by tinpanalley

No, I don't. I just ignore it because it's not real life. Nobody happy needs to spend their life telling others they're happy, because they're too busy living their life and being happy or at least making an honest go at being happy. Ignore it. I promise you that the vast majority of people you see online, especially those with gorgeously edited photos, are in some way the opposite of what you see. Think about it: who has time to massively edit and process their regular photos just to tell strangers how happy they are? And even for friends, who shows their photos to their friends via social media? Wouldn't you just send those photos to your friends in a message if you wanted them to see them? Social media is predominantly a lie and should not in any way be allowed to affect how you feel about anything, most of all your personal life.

Quote: Originally Posted by Herky

Most of social media is a show. I know multiple people who look like they have the perfect life on social media, when behind the scenes their life and or marriage is a mess. Some people especially that I just know through others would get drunk and fight all the time when we all would be at gatherings. The wife had multiple affairs and now they are divorced. On Facebook right up until they split they looked like the perfect family. Once we started hanging out in the same circles I saw it was all a lie. Take it for what it is. A lot of people use social media to put on a good face.

10000000 precent agree!

[jasontoddwhitt]

The only time I ever really struggle with this is when I'm having a down day, but I've learned to stay off social media on those days. Any more though, I use social media to post dark memes and stuff that stirs the pot...

The reality is social media is just window dressing. I know people who you would think their lives are just the best, but when you hang out in these circles, you see just how screwed up their lives really are.

Kind of like in high school when my mom would always complain about how my best friend's house looked so nice and "our house always looks like a wreck compared to ours." My response was, "Mom, you haven't seen the basement, because that's where they LIVE. The only thing that goes on upstairs is sleeping, eating, and entertaining." They had a finished basement and that's where they basically lived.

[PVarck31]

I agree with everyone else. Almost all of that stuff is for show. Most likely behind the scenes is a mess.

The only time I get a little jealous or envious is mostly seeing people who make YouTube videos and make millions from it. Especially the ones who flaunt it.

Not just game streaming, but a host of other things. Knowing I could have gotten in on the ground floor of that stuff. It's just hard to compute that some of these people make millions, or hell, even six figures just by making videos when Nurses, teachers, and other first responders, and military for that matter, make crap.

I actually missed an opportunity with YouTube. It's been about 5-6 years now, but I was one of the first people on there who was making videos of opening up sports cards. I ended up with like 150 subs, but just couldn't afford to buy the cards to put out consistent videos. Now it's a huge thing on there.

But I will say that I respect the hustle a lot of these people put forth. It's not easy work. But in the world we live in, if you have something to offer that entertains someone, you have big money potential.

[countryboy]

Personally I don't do social media anymore, including Facebook, which I just stopped doing a few weeks ago. But even when I was on it, I didn't find myself comparing my life to the lives of others, even if its shown how they wanted the "world" to see it. I'm content with my life, despite the things that didn't go as planned.

I thought that social media was mostly encompassed with two groups of people. Those who portray the perfect life and those that seek pity for the drama they post.

Everyone experiences the trials and tribulations of life, the ups and the downs, and laughter and the tears. No one is exempt.

Just focus on yourself and doing the things in life that allow you to look into the mirror without regret. If you regret something or aren't happy with some part of your life then figure out how to fix it. If you're happy then to hell with what anyone else thinks.

Life may not always be beautiful, but its a beautiful ride so long as you take the road that brings you peace and happiness.

[TheMatrix31]

The internet is mostly a metastasized cancer that has vastly contributed to the straight up practical collapse of the entire fabric of societal and cultural health and sanity.

People already had a hard time with constantly being told they were special and deserve the world and "you can be anything!" and having unrealistic expectations. Now they immerse themselves in what is tantamount to a fantasy world and think that is all the way things truly are and when their own lives don't happen to reflect the same level of "success" and "happiness" and whatever else, the weakest ones among us have a very, very, very hard time dealing with that. Many take it out on various aspects of their personal lives, or worse.

Heinous failure on all fronts.