How to Overcome the Social Media (Instagram) Comparison Trap

Instagram is the worst social media network for mental health and wellbeing. According to a recent survey of almost 1,500 teens and young adults. While the photo-based platform got points for self-expression and self-identity, it was also associated with high levels of anxiety, depression, bullying, and FOMO, or the “fear of missing out.”

Sure, when everyone’s lives seem beautiful, bright, and ‘perfect’ you’ll definitely feel something is missing from your life and what you try to do is to compare what you see in their lives to your life. Except you are comparing what you don’t see, most of the time.

This post applies to other social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and even your social group

Not everyone on social media is fake sure, but almost everyone is. There are billions of photos on Instagram and more than half of the images with people are fake.

The fact that we know what we do before posting an image; we edit, snap a 100, and send to our BFFs to choose the best then post.

Which means everyone does the same. But when someone does it and posts ‘i woke up like this’, we immediately forget everything.

Then there’s the battle for likes, followers, and whatever. There is so much standard so much pressure on social media, which we openly accept.

 

How to Overcome the Social Media Comparison Trap

1. Understand what your intention and purpose are on Instagram:

What do you look for when you go on Instagram (or any socials) , what do you want to see?
There are 3 categories that these social media are built for: Inspiration, entertainment, and networking.

Ask yourself, am I going there just for fun (memes, funny videos) to pass time?

Am I going there to learn something (could be makeup, skincare, drawing, latest news, inspiration)?
Or to connect with people I know (family, friends or people you find interesting or want to connect with)?

If you have no intention then you’ll be more vulnerable because anything will be shown to you and you might come across something that will stir up negative emotion in you.
Never go into something blind.

2. Have an Instagram detox:

Social media is addictive and having a day or two, a week, a month will positively change you.

It will wake you up, you’ll be less dependent, you’ll appreciate the real world more and sure, social media is not all disadvantages, having a few days off, will help you apply what you’ve learned.

You don’t have to stop using social media completely, I know that’s what the main detox for, but without seeing so many things to compare yourself, you’ll have time to appreciate your life and see the beauty in it.
It’ll strengthen your immunity to negative influences

3. Unfollow people:

Social media does not control you, you own your account and can control 92% of what you see. There is no reason in following someone that constantly makes you feel like you’re not enough, that you have to live up to a standard.

Unfollow anyone that doesn’t make you feel better about yourself and follow new people.
Having a change of view will improve you a lot.

4. Learn to appreciate it, don’t judge:

We have opinions about everything, but when you let opinions run wild and you judge that person which happens by comparing them with yourself or another, you will start picking faults in yourself.

Instead of saying ‘I wish my hair was that beautiful’, Let it be, ‘she has beautiful hair’. That’s it.
You see, you like, and you swipe.

5. Keep in mind that not everything is true:

All images are face tuned, photoshopped, filtered, whatever you call it.
No one is their true self on Instagram. When you feel that you might want to look like her remind yourself that even she doesn’t look like that, so there’s no way you can.

We glorify a lifestyle based on moments. People plan photos, people fake things, sure some photos are not planned and capture the most beautiful picture but you don’t know if that was the only happy moment in that person’s life.

You don’t know if that person feed is a collection of how they want to be. Just see, appreciate and scroll.

6. Trace where the insecurities are coming from:

Sure social media; Instagram is a plate of insecurities, criticism, and low self-esteem but it doesn’t start it.
When you start feeling inadequate, talk with yourself, and try to trace where it all started in the first place.

Knowing the cause of your self-esteem will help you fix the problem, when you do, you’ll be better at living in the age of social media.

3 Steps to Overcome Insecurity and Regain Your confidence

7. Know yourself better:

When you know yourself, you know where your strengths and weaknesses lie, you’ll use them as guides to determine everything worth your time and effort.

If you know you don’t need it and it won’t benefit you, then there’s no point in being on it. A lot of people have stopped using social media and they are not missing anything.

Remember. Use social media, don’t let it use you, there’s a lot of things that could affect you, don’t let social media be among them.

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