When people are happy with themselves, the world becomes a happier place to live in. However, this is not an easy thing to do, especially in the age of social media.

These days there are so many supermodels dominating all social media platforms. When I see certain influencers or models popping up on my feed, it makes me feel the I need to change what I look like.

According to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, social media can cause issues such as depression, suicidal ideation, obesity and even lower school performance.

“It’s led to some of my biggest insecurities because I feel pressured to look as good as Instagram models,” junior Maddie Lum said.

I do not think it is healthy to have your phone on you at all times or to constantly check your phone for that one like or follow. Your experience with social media depends a lot on how you use it and for what.

“If I was someone who had extreme body image problems I wouldn’t follow anyone that’s Insta famous,” Lum said. “It’s nice that you can personally tailor your social media experience based on who you follow.”

People should not base their lives on what they see on social media because it can hurt them. It can really become addicting and time consuming.

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America “almost 20% of people with social media accounts cannot go more than three hours without checking them.”

There are so many more ways you can use social media to help better your lifestyle. But scrolling through feeds and profiles that leave you feeling bad about yourself, is not one of them.

Not all of social media is bad; the way it can connect people from opposite sides of the world is pretty spectacular.

It is important to remember social media is not reality and it’s not all about the likes and follows you get.

Living in the age of social media, we need to be conscious of ourselves and live in the moment because being happy and secure with ourselves is what really matters.