Social media is the staple of the millennial generation. Just about every millennial has some type of social media account and it would almost be an understatement to say we are addicted to them.

source: memegenerator.net

We constantly know what everyone is doing and who they are hanging out with at the exact moment they are doing it. There is no sense of privacy anymore because we feel the need to share every single part of our life with the world. Whether it is tweeting about our day, sharing our pictures from the weekend on Facebook, or posting an aesthetically pleasing photo of that avocado toast we ate for breakfast on Instagram, we feel the need to post every piece of our life on social media.

Source:weknowmemes

This is becoming an unhealthy obsession and I think it might be ruining our generation. Because we constantly share our lives with the world, it creates the pressure to be perfect. Social media is a mask that people use to control how people see them. Someone may see their account on Instagram and think that they are perfect, but in reality they are only showing you what they want you to see. Social media is all just an illusion and we are all being manipulated by it.

While social media can be used as a very useful tool for communication, it is not good when someone is using it 24/7. It is unhealthy, especially for teenagers who are young and impressionable. I really think that the one of the reasons so many high school and college students are depressed and have anxiety is because of social media. We should not have to feel the pressure to look perfect all the time and try and prove to the world that we are having fun. Sometimes I just think life would be so much easier if social media did not exist.

I am a hypocrite though because I participate in social media just as much as everyone else does. But, as I realize more and more how much it is negatively effecting my life, I am trying to stay off of it. I know it is hard not to participate and want to share part of your life with your friends, but try to maybe do a little less of it. I was surprised at how freeing it feels to get away from it all for a little bit. Try it!