By Adekunle Victoria
Don’t believe everything you see online. Social media has become an important part of our
everyday lives, allowing people to share pictures, videos, achievements, opinions, and personal
experiences.
However, what we see online is often only a small part of a person’s life. Social
media can show us the beautiful moments while hiding the struggles, failures, disappointments,
and challenges happening behind the scenes.
A person may post pictures of happiness, success, beautiful places, expensive clothes, new cars,
luxurious houses, or an exciting lifestyle. Looking at such posts, we may assume that the person
has a perfect life. However, we may not know what is really happening in that person’s life.
Behind a smiling picture could be stress, financial difficulties, family problems, loneliness, or
personal struggles.
Some people also fake or exaggerate their lives on social media. They may do this to gain
engagement, attract followers, receive attention, promote themselves, or create a particular
image. They may present themselves as richer, happier, more successful, or more influential than
they actually are. This can make social media misleading because people sometimes show what
they want others to believe rather than the complete reality.
However, it is important to understand that not everything on social media is a lie. Many people
genuinely share their experiences, challenges, achievements, and personal journeys. Some people
use social media to inspire others by showing where they started, where they are now, and how
much they have grown. Their stories can encourage people who are also struggling to believe
that improvement and success are possible.
The real problem begins when we compare our real lives with the carefully selected moments we
see online. Someone may post a picture of a successful achievement while we are experiencing
failure or difficulty. We may then feel that we are not doing enough or that our lives are not good
enough. We forget that we are comparing our everyday reality with someone else’s carefully
selected highlights.
Social media can also create unnecessary pressure, especially among young people. People may
feel pressured to dress a certain way, own expensive things, travel to beautiful places, or appear
constantly happy. This pressure can affect their confidence and make them feel inadequate.
Therefore, social media should be used wisely. We should appreciate people’s achievements,
learn from their experiences, and celebrate their progress without allowing what we see online to
determine our worth. Everyone has a different journey, and success does not happen at the same
time for everyone.
Social media is a window into someone’s life, not the whole house. What we see may be real, but
it is rarely the complete story. We should therefore learn to appreciate our own lives, focus on
our personal growth, and remember that real life is much bigger than what is displayed on a screen.