Why Does Everyone Else's Life Look Better Than Mine? The Comparison Culture Created by Social Media
A few months ago, I opened Instagram for what I thought would be "just five minutes." The first story was of a school friend announcing that she'd gotten into her dream master's program abroad. The next post was from a cousin celebrating a promotion. Then came a reel of a 22-year-old influencer giving a tour of her luxury apartment and talking about "multiple income streams."
Not because one wasn't happy for them. They were. But suddenly, for reasons one couldn't explain, we felt like we had achieved absolutely nothing in our own lives. And a lot of people can relate to it.
Growing up, comparisons were already part of our lives. There was always that one cousin who scored higher marks. That one classmate who was good at everything. That one family friend whose achievements somehow became dinner table conversations. But at least back then, comparisons had limits. Now, thanks to social media, there are no limits.
Every day, we're exposed to hundreds of people our age doing things that make us question ourselves. Someone is getting married. Someone is buying a house. Someone is starting a business. Someone is traveling to Europe. Someone is becoming famous on Instagram. And we're sitting there, scrolling through all of it while eating leftover Maggi at midnight, wondering if we've somehow messed up our entire life.
We close the app
Not because one wasn't happy for them. They were. But suddenly, for reasons one couldn't explain, we felt like we had achieved absolutely nothing in our own lives. And a lot of people can relate to it.
When Did Life Become a Competition?
Growing up, comparisons were already part of our lives. There was always that one cousin who scored higher marks. That one classmate who was good at everything. That one family friend whose achievements somehow became dinner table conversations. But at least back then, comparisons had limits. Now, thanks to social media, there are no limits.
Every day, we're exposed to hundreds of people our age doing things that make us question ourselves. Someone is getting married. Someone is buying a house. Someone is starting a business. Someone is traveling to Europe. Someone is becoming famous on Instagram. And we're sitting there, scrolling through all of it while eating leftover Maggi at midnight, wondering if we've somehow messed up our entire life.
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