When I was in 8th grade, my mom once asked me, “Why do you go on Instagram? You never feel good afterwards.” Although I didn’t understand her question at the time, she was right -- checking Instagram, or any form of social media, never left me feeling better.
Even now, 7 years later, whether I am scrolling through pictures of models with incredible
bodies, or travel vloggers on grand vacations at destinations I’ve never even heard of before,
or influencers who seem to party, shop, and eat all the time, I always feel worse about myself
and my life after viewing social media.
Example of a travel vlogger
I find myself having to constantly remind myself that people’s lives on social media are
contrived. People only post the best snapshots of their life, with perfect lighting, enhancing
filters, and stealthful cropping. Obviously, because they don’t post the benign everyday events
that they experience such as going to the DMV, dentist, or grocery store, it is hard to imagine
their lives as anything other than what they post.
However, as described by Henry Frankfort in his article “On Truth, Lies, and Bullshit”, only
posting these types of glamorous photos not only has a “harmful effect on the person to whom
the lie is told” but also on “the liar herself”, which in this case is the person posting. This is
because they live alone in a “fabricated world” where “it is impossible for other people to be
fully in touch with her” (Frankfurt 39). When people try so hard to convince others that they
live a life that is not truly theirs, they are forced to hide so many aspects of their actual life.
This could be chores that they choose not to show, but it could also be their opinions, beliefs,
and backgrounds.
Thus, although posting beautiful pictures all the time might lead to the most amount of ‘likes’,
it can be detrimental for viewers to see and also for the person posting. As Frankfort suggests,
sometimes lying can be beneficial, especially white lies; however, a lie should not be given
enough power to permeate someone’s entire life.
Griffiths, Bronwyn, and George Smallwood. “28 Travel Instagram Accounts You Need To Be Following - Hostelworld.” Hostelworld Blog, 12 Apr. 2018, www.hostelworld.com/blog/best-travel-instagram-accounts/.
I find myself having to constantly remind myself that people’s lives on social media are
contrived. People only post the best snapshots of their life, with perfect lighting, enhancing
filters, and stealthful cropping. Obviously, because they don’t post the benign everyday events
that they experience such as going to the DMV, dentist, or grocery store, it is hard to imagine
their lives as anything other than what they post.
However, as described by Henry Frankfort in his article “On Truth, Lies, and Bullshit”, only
posting these types of glamorous photos not only has a “harmful effect on the person to whom
the lie is told” but also on “the liar herself”, which in this case is the person posting. This is
because they live alone in a “fabricated world” where “it is impossible for other people to be
fully in touch with her” (Frankfurt 39). When people try so hard to convince others that they
live a life that is not truly theirs, they are forced to hide so many aspects of their actual life.
This could be chores that they choose not to show, but it could also be their opinions, beliefs,
and backgrounds.
Thus, although posting beautiful pictures all the time might lead to the most amount of ‘likes’,
it can be detrimental for viewers to see and also for the person posting. As Frankfort suggests,
sometimes lying can be beneficial, especially white lies; however, a lie should not be given
enough power to permeate someone’s entire life.
Griffiths, Bronwyn, and George Smallwood. “28 Travel Instagram Accounts You Need To Be Following - Hostelworld.” Hostelworld Blog, 12 Apr. 2018, www.hostelworld.com/blog/best-travel-instagram-accounts/.
I found this post extremely relevant and relatable. I spend way too much time looking at other people's Instagram pictures and wishing I were somewhere else. I thought you had a really great hook, and I enjoyed reading your post. My only critique would be to maybe mention Frankfurt a little earlier on. Your main argument seems to be that unrealistic posts can also be harmful for the user creating these posts, so maybe emphasize this a little bit more at the beginning. Great job!
ReplyDeleteThanks Emily! :)
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