Are those #blessed humblebrag posts making you feel #basic and #bitterAF? Do you feel the constant need to keep up and step up your feed? Take a breather from the daily churn as we try to sort out your social media troubles.
You’re on social media, and the first thing that pops up on your feed is an engagement announcement featuring your high school batchmate beaming on-cam while holding up a huge rock which she calls a ring against a backdrop of some picturesque European landscape. You tap the Like button at first, and then hold it longer to use a heart emoticon instead. Another friend flaunts her ripped bod that's serious #gymgoals as she relaxes at the beach. You hit that thumbs up icon even though it's gonna get lost in the hundreds of previous Likes it already received. You continue scrolling past posts celebrating promotions, travels abroad, lavish weddings, haul flatlays, OOTDs... You release a long sigh and maybe exhale a bit of your soul. Why do you feel more anxious than ever?
IS THIS REAL LIFE?
For more than a decade, social media has been bridging the gap between people. For some though, the platform has become a daily reminder of what they lack in their lives, acting like the virtual nosy auntie who will nag, compare, or ask invasive questions, making you roll your eyes so hard you see your brain.
For Peyton, 24, who built her modeling portfolio on social media, the Insta-feedback from others has made her feel insecure. She says, "I was very happy with my photo, but then a friend of mine pointed out that I looked weird, and that upset me."
Olivia, 33, who's always had an eye for photos, feels challenged to come up with #aesthetic pics. She says, “I still curate, because what's the point of sharing a photo that isn't visually striking, entertaining, or at least had some thought put into it?”
Could these feelings of anxiety and pressure, common among millenniaIs, have something to do with the bombardment of real-time updates?
#GOALS
This story is from the March 2018 edition of Cosmopolitan Sri Lanka.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the March 2018 edition of Cosmopolitan Sri Lanka.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Letting go of fear
Oozing confidence, Shalindri Malawana learned a long time ago how to take on anything life thrust at her.
Conservation and care
Savera Weerasinghe’s career, from a non-profit to the manufacturing industry to sustainability, has always had a single common theme: start small, think big.
A woman with a cause
Shiandra Gooneratne is in a bat t le against an age-old enemy and plans to make a difference
Telling stories making space
Nabeela Yaseen created a platform for women and girls to feel safe, seen, and supported. She never expected just how many of them would need it.
Saving the environment
Anoka Abeyrathne, a conservationist and social entrepreneur, is only just getting started
Doing her own thing
Shifani Reffai has done a lot of different things. But she’s done them all her way.
Dance etched in her veins
Thajithangani “Thaji” Dias lives and breathes dance
Changing mindsets
Randhula De Silva, CEO of Hatch and Director of GIZ, is a disrupter at her core. And she’s just get ting started.
A guide to making it big in your career
It 's in the details
How To Watch A Movie Alone And Have The Best Time Ever
Movie marathon, anyone? No? Cool, I‘ll go solo!