What I Lost By Not Being Active on Social Media
My tale to prove my identity on Instagram for matrimonial glory
During the lockdown, as the world was collectively binge-watching Netflix and pondering existential questions, my mom decided to take my future into her own hands. Yep, you guessed it — she set up my matrimonial profile.
Apparently, my ability to pick a life partner ranked somewhere between ‘finding the lost city of Atlantis’ and ‘winning the lottery.’ Well, that’s how she saw it at least.
As my mom enthusiastically filled out the details of my profile, I couldn’t help but feel like a product description on an e-commerce site. Height, weight, hobbies, and interests were meticulously documented, and my photograph underwent more scrutiny than a presidential debate.
Soon enough, I was matched with a few potential partners who seemed interested in getting to know me better.
Until one fateful day when I received a message from one of my connections.
“Hey there! Your profile looks great, but can you share your Instagram handle? I’d love to see more of your life.”
And just like that, I found myself at a crossroads.
The problem was, I had never been active on social media. In fact, I had steered clear of it for most of my life. Suddenly, I was faced with a riddle:
“How do I convince these potential matches that I’m a real, living, breathing human without a digital presence?”
Desperate times call for desperate measures, they say, so I succumbed to the pressure and decided to dip my toes into the vast ocean of social media. Thus, my Instagram account was born.
My profile page resembled a blank canvas. It felt like entering a bustling party where everyone already knew each other, and I was the awkward latecomer who stood by the refreshments table trying to blend in.
So, to give my profile a semblance of activity, I had to resort to using an auto-follow bot to amass my first few hundred followers. I mean, who would willingly follow someone with zero followers and a profile picture that looked like a deer caught in headlights?
After successfully padding my follower count, I then faced the daunting task of filling my profile with content. But here’s where things took a peculiar turn. You see, I was never much of a shutterbug, and I found it awkward to post pictures of myself.
So, I adopted a strategy that I fondly refer to as “random 5 personal photos with stoicism quotes.” Each of these carefully curated photos of me was paired with a solemn quote, intended to convey profound wisdom and depth, or at least make it look that way.
Fast forward three years, my Instagram account remains exactly the same — stagnant and mysterious. Those initial followers I amassed with the help of a bot are still there, probably wondering why they followed me in the first place. My stoic posts continue to baffle anyone who stumbles upon my page, and I’ve yet to master the art of the perfect selfie.
If any brave soul wants to witness my Instagram masterpiece, here’s the link — Instagram
Now, let’s get down to business and discuss the countless things I’ve lost by not being an active social media user my entire life.
A Career as an Influencer:
Oh, the missed opportunity! I could have been raking in those sponsored posts and free products. Who needs a boring 9-to-5 job when you can make a living by convincing your followers to buy detox teas and waist trainers?
Countless Hours of Mindless Scrolling:
Imagine all the precious hours of my life I could have spent scrolling through an endless feed of cat videos, memes, and friends’ humblebrag vacation photos. My life has been so empty without this!
A Wholesome Sense of Self-Worth:
Self-esteem is so overrated. Why bother building it up through real-life accomplishments when you can chase likes and comments on your carefully filtered selfies? Validation from strangers is the way to go!
Deep and Meaningful Relationships:
Who needs real connections when you can have thousands of shallow ones? In the digital age, quality is clearly less important than quantity. And the more followers, the merrier!
Sleep and Productivity:
Who needs a good night’s sleep or productivity when you can be up all night, anxiously refreshing your notifications to see if that witty tweet you posted hours ago finally gets some likes?
The Art of Experiencing Moments:
Why enjoy a concert or a scenic view when you can spend the entire time figuring out the perfect filter and caption for your Instagram story? After all, if it’s not on Instagram, did it really happen?
Now, if you’ve detected sarcasm in my words, you’re right on the money.
The truth is, while social media can be fun and even useful at times, it should never replace genuine human connections and self-worth.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of seeking external validation through likes, followers, and comments, but these digital metrics should never define our sense of self.
In the end, my Instagram account with its auto-followed followers and stoic quotes may be a humorous short tale, but it serves as a reminder.
It’s a reminder that while the digital world offers opportunities for connection and expression, it should never be a substitute for building real relationships and finding validation within ourselves.
So, to all those considering the chase of social media fame, remember this: the true measure of your existence is not in the number of likes on your posts, but in the quality of the moments you share with loved ones and the genuine connections you make in the real world.
Don’t lose yourself to the quest for virtual approval; embrace the beauty of the here and now, where real life happens, and real connections are forged.
