I Felt Like I Didn’t Exist Because of Social Media

One moment made me feel small

Over twenty years ago, people were able to live decent lives without social media. Nowadays, social media appears to be a necessary tool for people to communicate with each other and know what’s happening in the world.

The moment I felt like a nobody

People like to ask me for my Instagram or Twitter username. People tend to act surprised when they find out I am not active on the latest social media platforms. They would encourage me to download these apps so I can follow or message them.

I felt as if I didn’t exist when someone told me she couldn’t find me on social media. She criticized my lack of social media presence and said I was strange for not actively using social media. She judged people who didn’t have a great deal of followers, and this conversation made me feel insecure. She made me question my identity based on my lack of social media presence.

I don’t interact with this toxic person anymore, but I’ll never forget the way she made me feel.

How I feel about social media now

Every few years, a new web application seems to outshine other existing ones. When Instagram came out, many people stopped using Facebook and focused on the new application.

After TikTok came out, I’ve realized how pointless worrying about social media is; society expects us to join every new app and I’m finished caring. I don’t need social media to define who I am.

Jennifer is a writer and marketer based in New York City. Follow her on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and her personal blog!