Chasing Illusions: The Impact of Social Media’s Unrealistic Life Portrayals

Imagine living in a middle-class house where you are spending life with the basics and struggling to get or enjoy a few luxuries but are not able to get the maximum, but you spend most of the time in scrolling through your social media feed, watching an endless stream glimpse from people’s life of their vacations, luxury cars, beautiful house. You keep swiping and with every swipe you feel depressed, a pain arises in your heart of insufficiency, and you question why your life doesn’t measure up to these perfect lives. Your subconscious starts believing happiness and success can be attained through material wealth, your worth is nothing because you cannot afford that luxurious life.

Then there came a moment when ithe mpact of social media on my life became apparent. That one important moment was when I started to notice how much time I spend scrolling the feed, how this thing influences my mood and self-perception. That was the moment of self-realization that not only I am comparing my life with others also the constant exposure to stream of information and opinions makes me overwhelmed or anxious.

By looking everyone’s luxurious life, moments full of adventures, seeing them exploring places, looking at their aesthetic pics wearing branded fits, accessories, shoes of course I want to do the same….

The constant exposure to images of luxurious lifestyles that I couldn’t afford had made me feel inadequate and envious. Seeing others showcase designer clothes, exotic vacations, and extravagant parties created a persistent feeling that my life was lacking in comparison. It wasn’t just about wanting those things; it was the sense that not having them meant I was somehow falling short. This comparison trap fed into a cycle of dissatisfaction, where the more I scrolled, the more I felt like I wasn’t living up to an ideal that seemed universally celebrated on social media. The polished and perfect images made it easy to forget that everyone’s life has its ups and downs, and what we see online is often a curated highlight reel, not the whole story. This realization was crucial in helping me break free from the negative emotions tied to these comparisons.

As a girl steering into the world of social media, sometimes I feel the pressure to post visually appealing pictures, because it fitted in our minds in this era of social media like, comments are way to quantify our worth. My complexes push me to show off my life style , for which I use o keep struggling for a good aesthetic picture, I had to capture a picture with beautiful back ground, whenever I use to wear my new fits I just wanted to capture a good pic in that fit so that I could post on my social media, I preferred not to re wear my fit on any occasions because I have to post pictures of that outing or event so that I could how people look I am doing things to enjoy my life . This was the “The Instagram Trap” I was Struggling with the Pressure to Live Luxuriously or to look like that I am living a luxurious life”. In this pressure I use to focus more on capturing pictures rather enjoying my life and experiencing the moment. I was not realizing that these aesthetically appealing photos can be enjoyable but they don’t define my happiness. This social media trap doesn’t allow us to embrace the authenticity or sharing our genuine moment with flaws.

How can a girl look like a model or a doll, always well dressed with glowing natural skin, with perfect manicure, wearing well pressed fit.? at least I am not one of them.

The pressure was high to post a good picture

I use to precisely curate my photos, edit out imperfections, and choose the most pleasing angles, all to fit into the prevailing aesthetic standards of beauty and success. To show whom?

To my few followers?

 Day by day I was going into the depression it was high time to realize this needs to be stop … and I have to control this addiction. I need to minimize my scrolling … I need to spend my time on something productive rather on looking into to other’s people life and becoming depress.

I wanted to go away from this world of perfection, show off, superiority and this glorified world not just with wealth, but also an unrealistic standard of beauty and lifestyle that felt impossible to achieve. This Addiction was draining my positive energies, I was surrounded by negative thoughts, an inferiority complex was weighing heavily on me,

I was sleep deprived, late nights spent endlessly scrolling through feeds not only disrupted my sleep schedule but also left me feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. The constant engagement with my phone made it difficult to unwind, impacting both my physical and mental well-being.

I decided to prioritize my mental health and protect myself from all the negativity I was experiencing. Taking a step back, I chose to distance myself from the toxic influence of constantly comparing myself to others online. This decision was crucial for my wellbeing,

I deleted all my picture

stopped posting often

was not bothered to post something from my daily routine anymore

was not taking that pressure anymore

started spending time in productive things 

Rediscovered my interest

My Sleep cycle became better

I found myself more present in the moment, more productive, and able to reconnect with activities and relationships that truly matter to me

This journey of reducing my screen time has been challenging but ultimately empowering, helping me cultivate a healthier self-image and a more balanced lifestyle.

Dear Readers!

Be aware of the usage of your social media and its influence on your well-being. It’s easy to be trap in up in the endless consumption and scrolling of social media also the pressure to present a flawless life. Always remember, what we see online is normally just a high spot reel, not the full picture of someone’s reality. There is need Set limitations for your time you spend online, and line up activities that genuinely make you happy and satisfied. Don’t measure your worth by the number of likes or followers you have; instead, focus on building real, meaningful connections and experiences. So, here is some advice Taking consistent breaks from social media can help you stay grounded and maintain a healthy perception. Because Person’s Mental health and happiness are far more valued than any digital validation.