Social media can kill you. Well maybe not literally but, it will most definitely sabotage your journey to internal peace. For however long you are on it, you are either watching other people hysterically complain, watching people flaunt their belongings, or watching people make a fool of themselves. Honestly, who cares if you have a bunch of friends or if you are a member of a popular social organization? And who are you really talking to when you make your “profound” captions? All that you are really doing is stirring up discontent and jealousy amongst those who may not live the flashy life. I promise you, living your life on social media will leave you searching for more attention with every “post worthy” moment. You'll never be satisfied. Social media is essentially a competition for social wealth, and likes are exchanged between people as the currency of validation. This outward thirst for attention drains energy and convinces people that they need 100+ likes in order to feel relevant. Yes, I am someone who owns several social media accounts, has a history of posting everything, and spends fragments of time observing other people's lives. However, I've consciously decided to refrain from publicizing my personal life. This has allowed me to regain my life, set up boundaries, and feel like a human rather than an object on display for the world to see. Overtime I've concluded that keeping to oneself and finding internal peace is the greatest decision I could have ever made. To neglect the urge to post every accomplishment or cute outfit takes courage but the reward is solitude and an escape from the unrighteous judgment of peers and strangers. Social media is not all bad, but it can be dangerous if it is misused. It is easy to hide behind a profile, and make yourself into whom ever you want to be. You can hide all of your imperfections with a filter and fool the world into believing that you are without flaw. But this lifestyle intensifies those insecurities, and it delays the transformative process of loving oneself. There is no reason to hide behind a social media account, and live a lie. I have witnessed friends who live double lives and devote hours of their day to update their followers of every new thought or experience. In their private time, they stress out about the comments of others, and essentially drive themselves crazy. The best advice I have to give to anyone of my generation will always involve mental health awareness. If more young adults would stray away from letting the internet rush their growth, every one could start the process of finding solace from within. After having panic attacks of my own, I decided that ditching all social media platforms would lead me to a place of peace. After being painfully bored with nothing to do, I spent some time with my thoughts and discovered hidden talents I never knew I had. Detaching from the social scene just might be the greatest act of strength, but it is the first step in realigning oneself. Along this journey, you'll evolve into someone who lives to be alive, rather than someone who lives to be liked.