Influenced or Lost? The Hidden Cost of Likes
Influenced or Lost? The Hidden Cost of Likes
"You open Instagram for 5 minutes... now you hate your body, your clothes, your life and your pace."
We’re not just scrolling. We’re absorbing.
We’re not just influenced — sometimes, we’re replaced by what we follow.
✨ The Influence You Didn’t Notice
Social media started as fun — a way to connect, share, laugh.
But slowly, it became a silent teacher…
telling us how to dress,
how to eat,
how to dream,
and even… how to feel about ourselves.
We thought we were the audience.
Turns out, we’re the ones getting shaped.
💔 The Subtle Damages
1. Validation Addiction
Your mind is now trained to chase hearts instead of purpose.
A post doesn’t do well?
Your day feels dull.
We’ve started measuring our worth in reactions.
2. The Pressure of Fake Perfection
You’re 20 and confused.
They’re 20 and "CEO of a skincare brand."
What you don’t see:
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The breakdowns behind the scenes
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The loneliness behind the aesthetics
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The debt behind the luxury
But we keep comparing… and slowly, we feel like failures in our own lives.
3. Trends Over Truth
Every month, there’s a new version of the “perfect life”:
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That girl mornings ☀️
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Gym + iced coffee = success 💪
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Solo trips = healed 🌍
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Hustle or soft life?
But where is you in all this?
🧠 What Social Media Is Really Costing Us
It’s not just screen time.
It’s mental space. Emotional peace. Identity clarity.
You used to have your own dreams.
Now you’re chasing someone else’s timeline.
You used to enjoy moments.
Now you plan how to record them.
This isn’t just influence.
It’s quiet self-erasure — and we’re all doing it to fit in.
🧘♀️ The Shift: From Lost to Aware
You don’t need to log off forever.
But you do need to take control of what enters your mind.
✅ Unfollow what dims you.
✅ Mute what triggers you.
✅ Follow creators, not characters.
✅ Create before you consume.
Most importantly — ask yourself: Who am I when I’m not trying to impress anyone?
🌱 Final Words
“We don’t lose ourselves overnight. We lose ourselves scroll by scroll.”
The cost of likes shouldn’t be your self-worth, peace, or originality.
So next time you scroll, pause and ask:
Am I inspired — or am I influenced to forget who I really am?
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