Embracing Confidence and Rejecting Social Media’s Version of You
by Marissa Klassen
Scrolling on social media is like trudging through a mire of mud and debris in six-inch Louboutin heels and a silk cocktail dress. Messy, impractical, and uncomfortable.
Undisclosed ads touting the benefits of a skincare product that will instantly smooth your ugly, gargantuan pores and get rid of any blemish imaginable. Just comment “Poreless” for the link or check out my Amazon storefront! Videos of beautiful girls make you question why your hair is Manic Panic Vampire Red instead of Cowboy Copper like theirs. If you have a single wrinkle in your twenties, what are you doing? Book a consultation with a plastic surgeon; I heard that Lindsay Lohan got an amazing facelift. You should be going to the gym daily; you can’t be seen in public without eight-pack abs and a butt the size of Texas. Oh, and did I mention that sardine-core is out? It’s time to completely revamp your closet and splurge on a $500 SHEIN haul.
She has it all together, so why can't you?
Society is holding a megaphone and shouting at the top of its lungs, “You’re not good enough!”, and we’re bending our bodies as soapboxes.
When our lives revolve around the picture-perfect influencer cosplaying the utopian life and promoting temporary gratification through the next viral product, there’s no other option aside from self-hatred. Self-hatred leads to paralysis. I can’t tell you how many hours I’ve spent staring at my ceiling, counting the ridges and grooves, and wishing my life were as perfect and idealistic as the airbrushed models on social media.
With skinnytok currently on the rise, social media peddles the narrative that a paper-thin stomach and a thigh gap are the epitome of beauty. You can’t be happy if you’re not thin, according to influencers, but never fear, there’s a supplement to help you lose weight. But just like every other cyclical trend, this body type will go out of style and be replaced by the next. What remains, however, are the irreversible health consequences of moulding yourself to fit in society’s box. With every heart emoji and “I wish my body looked like this”, I’m brought back to the worst time of my life, when I was hooked to heart monitors and could barely walk without feeling exhausted. I, too, desired to fit in, and changing my body was my way of taking control over my life.
Now that I'm happier and healthier after years of counseling and medical support, I often wonder what my twenties would have looked like if my life still revolved around my obsession with my body. Perhaps I would still feel intense abhorrence gazing at a mirror in passing. Maybe I wouldn’t be in university, going out on weekends with my friends, not obsessing over calories. I’m grateful for my body now, for carrying me through every dark day, and giving me a second chance to enjoy the life I’ve built. If I can impart any shred of wisdom on you, treat yourself with patience, love, and respect. Go easy on your body, it walks with you through every milestone, and it’s the only one you get. Your body is not a trend, and destroying your health to fit in with an unhealthy narrative is never the right choice.
No fad diet or supplement holds a candle to the feeling of living life, unburdened by how the world perceives you.
But it’s not that simple, is it? If we could all easily remove the shackles of self-hatred and doubt, wouldn’t we have done it already? The truth is, it’s profitable to sell self-esteem issues, and we are both the product and the market. That’s why the beauty industry is expected to rake in over $700 billion in revenue this year alone. Social media exacerbates our existing feelings of inadequacy by showing us a glimmer of the lives we could have if we buy into the narrative that we must change. I’m telling you to buy out.
Sitting on the precipice of your life, you have a decision to make: either spend your days pining for an unrealistic version of your future, or start living in the moment. Your twenties are a time for exploration and experimentation, for travel and building real, authentic relationships. Why are you still trapped in the never-ending cycle of doomscrolling and daydreaming when you could be actually living?
“Scrolling on social media is like trudging through a mire of mud and debris in six-inch Louboutin heels and a silk cocktail dress. Messy, impractical, and uncomfortable”.
In 2026, make it your goal to shut down the constant, unrelenting voices of society telling you that you’re not enough, and focus on building your future in the real world. This starts by turning the phone off and going outside. Join your local run club, borrow a book from the library, take up pottery, and study at a new coffee shop each week. Create habits that sustain you and bring out your innate creativity. Beyond the concrete walls of social media’s echo chamber, you’ll find that the cacophony of nagging voices starts to dim.
When you’re old and wrinkled and past the age of perceived usefulness, you will look back at pictures of you in your twenties. With tears pricking the corner of your eyes, you will remember carefree days of drinks at the bar with your friends and endless tropical vacations. You will remember the happiness you felt surrounded by people who loved you and supported you through your walk of life. You will remember heartfelt conversations about the meaning of human existence, and your hopes for the future. You will certainly not remember self-consciously covering your stomach at the restaurant because you felt bloated, or caking on concealer to hide the pimple that sprouted overnight. Our wrinkles tell the stories of happy, carefree days spent laughing. Social media tells us that our flaws are abnormal and worth hiding, but they are what make us human.
Don’t waste your best years obsessing over your image, and instead, start living. By allowing social media trends to consume your existence, you’re subscribing to a multi-billion-dollar agenda that capitalizes on your deepest insecurities. You are more than just your body.
Don’t wait to love yourself tomorrow–change starts today.
