Social Media: The Ultimate Mental Gymnastics Routine

Ah, social media—the magical realm where everyone is thriving, sipping aesthetically pleasing lattes, and achieving their dreams before 30. Meanwhile, you’re over here trying to remember if you actually drank water today. (Spoiler: You didn’t.)

Let’s be real. Social media is like that toxic ex who keeps stringing you along. One minute, you’re just scrolling for “a few minutes,” and the next, you’ve lost three hours, your self-esteem, and possibly your will to live. You started out watching a cute dog video and somehow ended up questioning why you don’t own a private island like that 22-year-old influencer who apparently just "hustled hard" (a.k.a. had rich parents).

And let’s talk about the mental Olympics we perform daily. You post a selfie, feeling cute, and BAM—two likes. TWO. One of them is from your mom. Now, instead of feeling good about yourself, you’re spiraling into an existential crisis, wondering if you should delete the picture and change your entire identity.

But it’s not just the validation vortex that’s the problem. Social media also blesses us with the constant comparison game. Look! That random person from high school just bought a house. Meanwhile, your biggest achievement this week was microwaving leftovers without them exploding. Feels great, right?

Of course, we all promise ourselves we’ll “take a break.” We’ll delete the apps, live in the moment, and focus on our mental well-being. And we do! For approximately five hours—until we wonder what we’ve missed and redownload everything like the weak, dopamine-addicted creatures we are.

So, what’s the solution? Balance, I guess? (Ugh, that word is so boring.) Maybe follow more dog accounts instead of billionaires, remind yourself that Instagram isn’t real life, and for the love of all things holy, drink some water. Your brain—and your dehydrated soul—will thank you.