Social media is a hub of connection. You can connect with anyone and everyone, share ideas, explore hobbies and interests, and join an online community. But this poses the question, are these new connections and communities real? Some argue yes and some argue no, but either way these connections and communities lack genuine human connection. When all you see is a screen and not the person receiving the information, it becomes very easy for moral and social barriers to fall. This causes significant issues because it allows the poster to distort reality. Many social media platforms and/or accounts only show very specific content. They are curated to reach a certain audience and get a certain response. When they meet these goals, it is good for them, but the viewers are influenced by what they see. They only see that 60 sec clip, not all the work that went into it. The viewer does not see the experiences that lead to video. This lack of communication in context and concept leads to the distortion of reality. When reality becomes distorted, you no longer perceive your surroundings as everyone else does. When you do not agree with everyone else, you become isolated. As socially motivated creatures, humans crave connection and community, that is why social media was created in the first place. But in doing so, we have created false realities that can be accessed at the tips of your fingers. Social media has the opposite effect of what was originally intended. This leads to depression and self esteem issues most often because our reality does not look like the idealistic version that gets posted. The further someone retreats into comparison the further from reality they go. This only makes the issue worse. I should know. For the longest time all that appeared on my feed was skinny girls tracking calories, going to the gym, claiming that two tiny meals a day will keep you full and support your body. When I tried these things, I didn't look like them, not even slightly, and I was always hungry and tired. The more I obsessed over these issues the more I retreated into myself. I thought that I was doing something wrong because I was doing all the same things, yet I didn't look like them. I stopped hanging out with friends in favor of going to the gym. When I did manage to go out, I checked the calories of meals before I even looked at what the dish was. I was depressed and had serious issues with food and my appearance. How did I combat this? I realized that the videos I was seeing were someone else’s reality, not mine, and that was ok. Everyone is different, and I grew to love my differences. The way to combat the negative effects of social media comes from the knowledge that not all videos are real, and it's ok to be different. Sounds cheesy I know, but it's true. Education on online safety and acceptance would go a long way to combat the isolating feelings that can stem from social media.