🌍 Social Media Has Become Our Mirror: The Illusion of Self in the Digital Age
By Raj Mistry
What do we like — and what do we not?
Strange how we can’t even answer that honestly anymore.
Because today, it’s not you who decides what you like — it’s your feed.
Social media has become our mirror.
But the reflection it shows isn’t who we are — it’s who we want others to see.
Everyone’s trying to become somebody else.
And in that process, we’ve started losing our real identity — trading authenticity for likes.
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The New Definition of “Like”
We’ve stopped asking ourselves, “What do I actually enjoy?”
Instead, we copy what others enjoy — what gets the most views, what looks most attractive online.
We once fought the pressure of society; now we live under the pressure of the internet.
And the funny part is — no one even forced us.
We did it willingly.
We post what others might like, not what feels true to us.
We wear clothes that look trendy, not comfortable.
We eat food that photographs well, not what tastes good.
It doesn’t matter if you like it — it only matters if it’s Instagram-friendly.
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The Performance We Call Life
We’ve turned our lives into content.
Itchy, trendy clothes have replaced comfort.
Food presentation now matters more than flavor.
Vacations are planned for better reels, not better memories.
Have you seen those influencers who go to fancy Japanese restaurants just to click photos with sushi and chopsticks — and then end the night eating samosas at home?
Because sushi gets likes.
Samosas don’t.
The irony? They might not even like sushi — some don’t even eat it after the photo’s taken.
It’s not food anymore; it’s a photo prop.
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The Illusion of Lifestyle
Social media created a strange rule:
Your house must be big, your car must be fancy, and your background must look expensive — or your life doesn’t count.
People rent luxury cars, fake jets, and designer outfits just to create the illusion of success.
Yes, there are fake private jet sets you can rent by the hour — only for photos.
The internet is full of happy stories and sad lives.
People surviving on instant noodles post pictures of fine dining.
People who feel empty post motivational quotes.
And the rest of us scroll through it, comparing our reality to their performance.
We forget that we’re looking at highlights — not life.
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The Digital “Skin”
Just like video game characters wear new skins, we’ve learned to wear digital ones.
Online, we show the confident, happy, filtered version of ourselves —
and offline, we feel lost, anxious, and disconnected.
It’s not all fake — but it’s not real either.
We’ve built a version of ourselves that looks perfect but feels hollow.
And slowly, the gap between who we are and who we pretend to be keeps getting wider.
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The Psychology Behind the Filter
Why do we do this?
Because validation feels like oxygen.
A post without likes feels like rejection.
So we adjust our clothes, captions, and even our beliefs to match what the algorithm — or people — want.
We stop asking, “Do I like this?”
and start asking, “Will others like this?”
It’s subtle, but that shift kills authenticity.
We live to be seen, not to live.
And when we don’t get that attention, it feels like we’ve disappeared.
That’s the modern fear — not of dying, but of becoming invisible.
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Losing Culture, One Trend at a Time
With every new social trend, we lose a little bit of who we were.
We’ve replaced traditional food, clothing, and style with what’s “in.”
We go traditional only when it looks good on the feed — not because we value it.
Tradition is no longer a connection — it’s content.
Cultural identity has become a hashtag.
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The Addiction to Appear Perfect
People post smiles while fighting battles no one sees.
They hide pain behind filters.
And when everyone around you looks “happy,” it’s easy to believe something’s wrong with you.
That’s the real trap —
not the internet itself, but the illusion that everyone else is doing better.
It’s a lie we all agree to tell together.
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Final Thought
Not everything you see online is real.
Not every smiling face is happy.
And not every “perfect life” is perfect.
Social media should reflect your truth — not rewrite it.
You don’t have to quit it. Just don’t let it define you.
Be yourself — not your digital version.
Because in a world where everyone’s pretending, authenticity is the last rebellion left.
