If You Didn't Post It, Did It Really Happen?

If you didn’t post it, did it really happen? 

No, seriously, I actually want to know. Did we even have a night out? Did we even really meet our friend for lunch? Did we actually go to that concert?

No, we didn’t. We never really did any of those things because we didn’t post about them on our Instagram stories for everyone to see. 

So, even if you thought you went out, you didn’t. Because if Instagram didn’t see it, then it never happened. 

See how dumb that sounds?

 But that’s actually how many social media-obsessed people seem to think. Regardless of what they’re doing, they feel the need to post it on Instagram for their followers to see, almost as if they're trying to prove that they're out doing something fun.

Whether it’s a selfie with a friend, a photo of food, a picture of a nightclub, or the view of the city streets at night, it all has to be posted. 

What are you trying to prove? That you have a social life? Friends? That you're not home every day? 

Well, guess what? No one cares. In fact, most people don’t care nearly as much as you think they do. The majority of your followers—many of whom you probably don't even know personally—aren’t going to stop scrolling and think, “Wow, they're so cool because they're out and I’m home on a Saturday night. I wish I had their social life.” 

Like, be so for real. 

At that point, are you really posting because you want to share a memory, or because you want to show people how exciting and social your life appears to be? 

But the reality of it is, none of that matters. You don't have to post every single thing that you do. Even if you don't post “proof” that you went out, that doesn't mean it never happened. 

Sometimes, the people posting probably aren’t even having a good time. Instead, they’re too focused on capturing the perfect, aesthetically pleasing photo just to show off on social media. 

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with sharing photos and videos on social media and giving people a small glimpse into your life, but where do we draw the line? At some point, a lot of this starts to feel performative, almost as if there’s an obligation to post. 

And that’s when things start to become a bit too much. 

When every dinner, night out, concert, casual get-together, or moment spent outside has to be posted, it begins to seem like we’re searching for attention and validation from people who weren't even there.

I mean, can't the experience itself just be enough?

Why do we crave endless likes and comments on our stories? Why don't we feel fulfilled until we get notifications saying “So-and-so liked your story?” The story expires in 24 hours anyway! Why does there always have to be an audience watching, reacting, and acknowledging that we’re out doing something? 

Not every experience has to be documented. I promise, even if there’s no “proof” on Instagram that you went out, the event still very much took place.

It’s okay to keep your memories to yourself sometimes and just live in the moment.

Why can’t an experience be enough on its own without needing an audience to validate it?