illusions

Watch the Fab 4 (Beatles impressionists) perform and you will surely be momentarily lost in the illusion that it is 1964 while you watch a young Paul McCartney perform "Yesterday". Surely a harmless and fun illusion for an evening. I'm a fan!

The Fab4 doesn't hold a candle to the illusions we create and consume daily on social media. Keep reading! I know you don't want to read it, but truly, are we not addicted to creating a very specific image of who we want to be seen as? Tempted to forgo enjoying the moment in favor of capturing that perfect photo, not for a photo album or picture frame, but for that Instagram post, not for this week, since we already have one planned (for posting on the perfect day and time when there are the most people active) but perhaps for next week, when we run low on photo options because our week is dull and lackluster. Some may argue this is harmless, a creative outlet, but when you are part of creating an illusion day after day, and part of viewing the illusions created by others for hours on end, you can begin to forget that life consists of more than filtered faces, perfect puckered lips touched up with the Perpetua or Hudson filter, and people with the perfect significant other without whom their world would be incomplete.

Don't fall victim to the allure of the Perfect World thinking! It's not just you that has struggles. All teens struggle with homework, acne, changing friendships and family dynamics. They worry whether they'll find the perfect boyfriend or girlfriend, and whether they will achieve expectations set for them. All moms and dads wonder if they're doing the best by their children and whether they are providing a firm but loving hand. There are no perfect teens with no problems, no perfect adults with no problems, no perfect children and no perfect parents.

Take a break from your social media when you feel that you're the only one. Pull aside a friend who will be honest with you. Ask her to remind you that her life is not perfect. And I bet she will.