Social media or: how I learned to stop living and share all my experiences

Not long ago, I read an article about how social media have changed our socializing habits. Interactions have been reduced to something as simple as clicking on a "Like" button or link, but the most remarkable fact to me is the effect it has when the person that publication was meant for or, what's worse, nobody, clicks on that button.

Everyday I see people showing off on Facebook, telling everybody that they are going this place or that they are doing that thing. On that very exact moment, somehow decreasing the pleasure of living those experiences, looking for approval from the people they look up to. Plus, how can you enjoy a life-changing experience, while you are connected to some app glancing over other people's lives, and "liking" their feeds?

Quite often on Instagram's Popular page I see models, TV presenters, American blonde cheerleaders and little boys mimicking Justin Bieber, being worshiped just for being beautiful. Little children comment things like "OMG, you're perfect!!" "I wish I had your life"... And it shocks me that there's people out there being brought up in the wrong values, believing that if you're not thin and blonde, you are nothing because everyone who does not fit in the western beauty standards must be frowned upon.

Also, comparisons are inevitable: "They are happier and having better lives than I am"... The distortion on the perception is fascinating. Envy, trying to make everyone else envious, and posting status traps just in order to get people to ask you about them... I don't understand why people who are out with friends check their Twitter updates all the time. Why do they look down at real life?

I know people may want to share some things with their acquaintances and friends, but I don't get the point on posting about all the positive things that happen in your daylife, above all when it's been cleverly filtered to make your life seem more adventurous and exciting.


Extra: a note about "Facebook depression" taken from fragments on Wikipedia.