The Paradox of Social Media

A year ago, when I deactivated my Instagram, I had many beliefs about why platforms like Instagram or Snapchat aren’t good for us. I felt people often try to fake, or at least hide their struggles, posting only the best parts of their lives. You scroll and see perfect moments: a happy relationship, a loving family, international trips, good friends, a successful career… and yet the same person might be dealing with pain or trauma that only a few know about.

There’s this strange dichotomy to it. But it’s not just limited to social media, it exists in real life too. People hide what’s wrong not always to deceive, but to cope. Somewhere along the way, that hiding becomes what we call adulthood, the ability to show up with a smile even when things aren’t fine. It’s not faking; it’s compartmentalising. If something bad happens at work, you try not to bring that energy home. If you’re going through something personal, you try to leave it outside the office door.

Instagram and similar platforms are just another compartment like that. They’re a digital space where we store our happiest memories, or sometimes subtly express pain, posting something sad, hoping a few people will notice. The real issue isn’t this act of sharing itself, but the scale at which we consume it. In real life, you know a few people deeply; on social media, you watch hundreds compartmentalising their good parts all at once. Even when you know it’s not the full picture, it quietly gets to you. Comparison becomes constant, not deliberate but automatic.

You begin to measure your everyday life against everyone’s highlight reel. It’s strange, knowing it’s not real doesn’t stop you from feeling it. I think that’s where the paradox of social media lies: it connects you to everyone and yet distances you from yourself.

That’s why I find LinkedIn different in its own way. Everyone’s sharing their wins, even the small ones, but it somehow doesn’t affect me negatively. Maybe because I don’t see it as a performance. Most of my time there goes into connecting with people, reading long, thoughtful posts that few people even stop to read. I’m one of those few. It has actually improved my attention span, and even made me a better writer, all because of that one creator whose long paragraphs I look forward to.

And that’s when you realise, social media isn’t inherently bad. It’s a mirror. It reflects what we bring to it. That’s also the beauty of it, it’s not all bad. Some people start businesses from an idea they saw in a reel; others grow through it. It’s a tool, and like any tool, it depends on how you use it. Some people find opportunity, growth, or inspiration through it. Some find pressure, distraction, or emptiness. It depends on where you’re standing and what you’re seeking.

Sometimes I feel I’ve missed opportunities, like starting a writing or photography page, but I also know that until I can truly separate creation from validation, it’s better to create quietly. To build something when no one’s watching. Because if you can stay consistent in silence, you’ll eventually reach a point where you create for yourself, not for likes or followers.

Maybe that’s the balance we’re all trying to find, how to stay connected without losing ourselves in the noise.

So until then, I’m creating in silence, on my own corner of the internet.

If you’d like to see it, visit vimarshshah.com.