Comparison is the Thief of Joy

Social media is the most addicting thing to ever exist I swear. I find myself spending hours a day just laying around, scrolling. Don’t get me wrong, I do love scrolling through TikTok and Instagram watching cooking tutorials and cute animal videos. I find myself enjoying them so I keep scrolling. Then comes the part of social media I hate. I stumble upon a video of a girl just simply showing off her makeup. She’s pretty, her makeup is so nice it looks professional. She looks like a literal supermodel so I check her account but she’s actually just a girl my age with a few hundred followers, and she’s perfect. Suddenly the scrolling doesn’t bring me happiness anymore and I’m comparing myself to this random girl that only came up on my for you page because I’ve liked makeup videos in the past.

Most of the time if I find myself going down this rabbit hole of comparing myself to strangers I can stop myself from going deeper but every now and then it’s too late and then I’m already five accounts deep into hating myself. Usually I’m able to remind myself that a lot of social media is completely fake and most of the people that I envy have problems of their own and might even feel the same way as me. I feel better when I remind myself of this but somehow that feeling of not being good enough always creeps back in.

Social media can be really draining, especially considering that unfortunately there are many horrible people online. It gives people the confidence to say horrible things that they would never speak out loud and it can be really hard to ignore. It doesn’t even have to be directed at you but seeing people you would consider perfect receiving horrible comments on their appearance makes you think, ‘what would they say to me if that’s what they think of someone like that?’.

Although I struggle to remember this myself, it’s always important to remember that we are all human and we all deserve to enjoy the lives that we live. Some stranger online does not affect your worth and even if you think looking like or living life like that one person would make you feel fulfilled and give you happiness, that is not true. Comparison is the thief of joy. The reality is that there’s always going to be someone you feel is doing better than you, but they will never be you. You have so much to give to this world, we all do.

I know how awful social media can seem but it can also be really great. I love being able to see what’s happening around the world and stay connected with my friends and family. I still love watching cooking tutorials and cute animal videos. It’s also much easier to reach out to people and find the resources you may need to help with problems such as helplines and online sessions.

Always remember that someone is there for you. Social media should never have the ability to affect anyone so badly. If you feel this way or just need to chat with someone don’t be afraid to reach out.

Thank you for reading and I hope that if any of you feel the way I felt, you know you’re not alone. Let me know if you want me to talk about any other specific topics :) <3

Never struggle in silence.

🤍 Mental Health Ireland

🤍 HSE

🤍 Pieta