Whenever I go somewhere, I find myself taking pictures.
I snap pictures of food, pictures of my friends and me, pictures of scenery, and everything in between.
Everything in my world stops for a minute, or sometimes even longer, and I arrange the subject of the picture in the most desirable way I see fit.
These types of pictures then get edited and filters are added and a clever caption is written and finally, the final product is posted on a social media platform. It’s quite a process.
Now the human brain is quite an incredible thing, but in real life there is no way to view the world with all of this production over top of it.
You can’t tell your brain to put an elaborate filter and add a fun caption to every moment you experience.
Social media most often presents life with a veil of perfection over it, and yet I find myself scrolling through endless feeds and comparing myself to the things I see as if it’s all achievable.
The worst part about this all is that sometimes I even let it bring down my mood and make me think less of myself, even when I know deep in my heart that we are all beautifully created in the image and likeness of God.
Social media can be used for very positive reasons and some people even use it to help oppose these feelings I’m talking about and uplift others.
However, it is my opinion that the most followed accounts are seldom these types of accounts.
Thankfully, though, the viewers have the power to control what they see. They also have the power to not see any social media at all.
If constant comparison on social media brings someone down, they have the power to rethink their “following” list and opt for the type of account that focuses on positivity and realness.
I think people often forget this and are drawn into the earthly possessions posted everywhere.
In Colossians 3:2, the Lord says to “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”
Taking time to remember this when consumed with feelings of doubt or sadness is important in a world so focused on the material.
All of this production and possession is earthly; we can’t take it with us when we die.
Our focus should be lifted to the heavens, not lowered to our phones.
Taking the time to evaluate phone and social media usage can be really helpful to those struggling with comparison.
As Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.”

ADRIANA LASKY
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