MIRROR PIC BY: KAMERON KEEL STYLED BY: ANNA EVAN BRISTOW PHOTOS BY: SOPHIA CALDERON
W
hether or not we wish to believe it, our lives are run by the power of the internet, specifically social media. Whether we accept it or deny it, we are all a creation of social media’s influence. The things we discuss can be face to face, but then you begin to question “where did I hear that” or “how did you get that information?”
The answer, now a days, is: Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. Gone are the days of getting information from print newspapers and radio shows. What we learn, say, do, and like, are a result of the content that we see online via these social media platforms. The downfalls of social media are plenty. Many times, social media users fall victim to “fake-news” and gossip; however, the most dangerous aspect seems to be the competition it creates. Users of these platforms are constantly seeing extravagant lives of other users and using that as a basis of comparison for the life they want, versus the life they have. No one’s life is exactly what they show to the world. We see unrealistic expectations of dress, beauty, and lifestyle that even the people who post that content fail to live out. Naturally, people do not want to admit the hardships they endure. As a result, the internet only sees the most edited and perfect posts users choose to share. Instagram models will never admit to having cellulite or blemishes, a simple flaw any facial editing app can delete, just as runway models will never admit that they do have13
