The Social Media Hallucination

What we post on our social media not only indicates our mood of the day, in the case of a picture, for example, it shows our style, life, passions. Posting an image has the undeniable power to give others an idea of what we are experiencing. Even though a picture a day doesn't mean much compared to the 24 hours that compose that day. It’s almost ironic if you think of how much work and dedication goes to build your social image literally cropping out of the picture everything that’s modest, dull, repetitive, in a word: daily.

People seem to forget what’s behind an image. I first noticed it while studying abroad and my social profiles were filled with rosy cheeks, uncomfortable shoes, and wine glasses. Looking back now I, too, would assume I did nothing but party. Of course it doesn’t help when the Facebook memories feature shows me what happened on this day in 2013: my status read “Vodka is the new black!”  Enough said.

Let me forward you to 2016: I am not in England anymore and I live in Melbourne. I love skyscrapers, especially at night, so when the other day I stayed in the city after work I took a couple of pictures from my favourite spot and sent them on Whatsapp to my Family group. Which I daresay is the most randomly entertaining content provider. Completely ignoring the aesthetics of my shots they pointed out how I’m always out and about having fun. I felt the need to remind them that's a phenomenon called “Social Media Hallucination”.

Social Media Hallucinations happen when you see pictures from your friends, of your classmates’ year abroad, even IGers that you don't know personally. You know where I’m going from here, right? You see an oasis and it looks so real with fresh water, trees, shadow, and peacefulness. Although the truth is that the oasis is most likely to be surrounded by sand!

We all have a repetitive daily life, I assume people don’t want to escape by looking at their phones just to see another 'desert'. What’s the point of a student posting pictures of underlined library books, an embarrassing number of cheap mushy peas cans, and eraser dust on the floor? I like living in Australia and there are many new and exciting places to discover, that’s why I would like my family and friends to see the fun, exotic, and different. I want people to see my oasis made of skyscrapers, Chocolate factories, and kangaroos, whenever I manage to spot one.

Every blogger knows that it doesn’t matter how well coordinated your stationery is, your work desk is not going to look like those perfect flat lays. Maybe next time I should share with my family pictures of trams, white collars rushing to work, traffic jams, the sad cafeteria, or me checking the e-mails. Also I’m pretty sure influencers don’t show you when they hand wash their socks or when they buy toilet paper. Just saying.


Image: via