Me and the social media Around Me

Hi, my name is Alia, and I'm a teenager. And like every other teenager, I am into social
media. While this goes without saying, I think that it deserves a second thought because I do not
know any other 17-year-old kid who isn't using Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or even YouTube.
I was born in 2005, which means that I have always lived in a time where social media was
always a thing. I was eleven when my parents first bought me my very own tablet. The first time
I made an account on Twitter was right before my thirteenth birthday, and at that time, I didn’t
exactly know how to use it, so I deleted it. Social media is one of the great technologies that has
changed my life and the way we communicate, but I feel like it has failed me. I have been on
many sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc., and despite how much time I spend on
these sites, I feel even more unworthy because of what I see on social media. When I go to my
Facebook account, I see a lot of photos of people having the time of their lives. I compare myself
to the photos on their profiles, I'm disgusted because they're all skinny, beautiful, and have
perfect bodies while I’m not. Then I see Instagram or YouTube videos of skinny, happy girls
who don't seem to have any problems. Their photos show that they are flawless. Also, I see on
other social media sites how girls are expected to be pretty and skinny, and it is getting worse
each year. I took pictures, but then I see my friends who look great without even trying, and the
fact that I cannot be like them affects my self-esteem and mental health. But then I realized that
we are all flawed, and none of us are perfect; we're humans, and our skin isn't supposed to be
spotless all the time. I cannot believe I used to be jealous those social media influencers who
claim to have perfect lives. But now I've changed my ways and treating myself better. Social
media is not a place to compete, but a place to connect.