Social Media Envy

I love taking pictures and documenting both the little and big things that make up my day. Instagram is definitely my go to app whenever I pick up my phone. I love both sharing of things that happen in my life and then validation of a few likes. I love having a nosy at other peoples days. I like knowing what they’ve had for lunch or snapshots of a city break. Maybe that’s somewhere to put onto my ever growing wish list of places to eat/travel to.

However, it’s hard not to feel jealous sometimes and wonder why everyone else seems to have the OMG MOST AMAZEBALLS life whilst you’re sat at home alone on a Saturday night eating your way through a box of Miniature Heroes that you can't quite save for Christmas and watching X Factor - the perfect relationship, the designer steals, the hot body, the great social life, fantastic holidays……. It’s all there making us feel like our own achievements aren’t up to scratch.
BUT…. At the same time, we’re all guilty of it, myself included.

This weekend I posted a couple of selfies of me and the girls before a night out… flattering filter and duck-face –CHECK! It wasn’t enough that I felt like I looked nice enough to just step out of the door and own my look. I needed to get validation from other people pressing like. Why is that? What a waste of energy really.

Then there’s the picture of us all sat in the bar, complete with flattering angles/filters galore. Look at me! I do have friends, they’re also really hot, I’m having an amazing time!! I don’t apologise for these kind of pics though, it’s the same friends that make me LOL with the whats-app group convos the next day and keep me sane when the hangover blues are in force and I’m throwing up for the millionth time. Ewwwwww….. Plus, it’s nice to look back in a few more years when it comes up on Timehop and you’re like “WTF was that outfit!”

What I’m really trying to get it, is that it’s easy to form an opinion of how someone’s life is through a few small snapshots. What doesn’t get uploaded to Instagram is the really telling stuff. The throwing up until 1pm the next day, the crying at Hollyoaks (yes, I still watch it), the checking your online banking through your fingers because of those extra round(s) of Jaegerbombs, the nerves, trepidation and awkwardness of psyching yourself up get back out there and start going on Tinder dates again.

So next time you have a little bit of FOMO or social media envy, remember it's not real. It's a snap shot of the good times. Everyone has their issues and their down days. As I say, it's what people don't choose to post thats the most telling.