Being present in the future
In a world where society is seeing through lenses, are we all seeking social validation?
Written By Ubah Hussien
Image: Style-Ish
In this day and age, roughly 63% of the world population is on social media. To put that into perspective, that’s equivalent to 5.17 billion- 5.22 billion social media users.
The platforms often connect people with friends and family no matter where they are. It is often a tool to keep up with the news, celeb gossip and for sharing posts with different social circles. However, over the years, it seems that social media has become the highlight reel of our lives, and we're all too often caught up in the performance.
Forget being in the moment, we are too busy trying to find the perfect angle for our Instagram post, or lighting for our next TikTok. Forget deep conversations, we're distracted by the ping of a new notification. Forget seeing it through your own eyes, seeing it through a lens is better anyway. Isn’t it?
“We can reclaim our present.”
Social media has a sneaky way of turning real-life experiences into staged productions, all for the sake of social validation. This term refers to feeling accepted on online platforms, whilst using them to post ‘proof’ of recent trips, events or meals.
We want to look like we are living the perfect life- and maybe we are- but the social validation makes us feel so good it can become addictive. Unfortunately, this can lead many of us into thinking our social status is based on how many likes a person can get. All of a sudden, getting only five likes becomes disheartening. Before you know it, hours of chasing interaction have slipped away, and you're left feeling empty and disconnected.
Many use socials to show off their best looks, post a ‘photo dump’ of a recent trip or share what they’re having for breakfast. But, after a scroll down our timeline, we begin comparing them with others. Let's be honest, the constant comparison game is exhausting.
We're bombarded with images of seemingly perfect lives – flawless travel photos, envy-inducing relationships, and effortlessly successful careers. It's enough to make anyone feel like a total loser.
What’s even worse? The next generation are already playing this game, at as young as 6 years old, children could be comparing their lives to what others potray as theirs. It’s honestly exhausting.
Despite all this, it doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom. We can reclaim our present.
Start by consciously choosing to disconnect. Put your phone down during meals, leave it in another room while you're hanging out with friends, and actually experience the world around you.
Find joy in the simple things – a good book, a walk in nature, a heart-to-heart with a loved one. These are the moments that truly matter, the ones that will stay with you long after the likes of a reel fade away. It's time to break free from the grip of the scroll and start living in the here and now.
Your future self will thank you.
-Ubah Hussien
Edited by Isabel Butler