Have you ever stopped and asked yourself why so many youths on social media are so depressed? If you spend a few minutes on social media, you most likely going to run into some post about someone who is unhappy. Sometimes you find people who may appear to be happy but when you deeply analyse their comments you start seeing the dissatisfaction and unhappiness. But why is it like this?
The biggest problem is the amount of idolisation that social media has brought to our society. We have so many famous people who are deemed as authority. People fail to draw the line when it comes to social media. They envy these people so much that they become unsettled in their on lives. They feel they are not good enough anymore. They see someone having x amount of followers and feel like that someone is more loved by people than them. Everyone is just running after likes and followers.
But what many fail to understand is that not everything is what it looks to be. Some of this people whom we think are much happier than us are often not that happy. They are just painting a picture for us. One of my favourite rappers, Flawless Real Talk, in his song Love Me says "Went to the other side cause you thought it was greener, Until you found out that grass was fake". This is true for so many people today. We let go of the happiness we have to chase after what we think is happiness only to find out it is not. We let go of people who love us and are good for us, while chasing fame, followers, likes, money and fancy alcohol thinking it will make us happy. Often times, it ends up being fake.
Some of these famous people are really empty and the only way they can hide it is acting happy. And because the youth idolises such people, they end up making these individuals figures of authority. They support everything the person say and just follow blindly with no care and reasoning. They praise these individuals with the hope of being retweeted or noticed by their idol, and when it doesn't happen, they get bitter and depressed. People change their lives and name themselves after such people trying to fit in or outdo the next person at being their favourite celebrity.
We need to start realising that we are who we are and idolising these people only makes us abandon ourselves. That idol is busy working on him/herself to be better, while you are busy working hard on being the second best of them. They will always be the best of themselves and anyone who tries to copy will only be second best. But what you forget to realise is that you are neglecting yourself and at the end of the day there you will end up with an identity crisis. When you go out seeking validation, and do not get it, you are bound to get depressed. So stop trying to be validated by social media. Those people don't know you, and some aren't even who they say they are. If you see someone pose half naked on social media, all of a sudden you do the same thinking it will work for you too. It doesn't work that way in real life. You will just be left alone in depression when you do not find that validation that so much desire.
Put that phone down and start working on yourself. Start focusing on building yourself. Stop measuring your happiness against someone else's. You do not know the person. The only person you should know best is yourself and stop comparing yourself. You are the best person on earth. You are a great individual. Stop trying to be someone else and start trying to be the best you, then you will find your greatness. Be kind to yourself. Give yourself the love you've been giving these idols. Be your biggest fan. Believe in yourself.
WITH LOVE...
Mbuelo Ramafamba
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