College acceptances on social media don’t define you
“Harvard ‘22!”
“Happy to say I’m going to USC next year!”
Splattered over social media every year are college commitment announcements. Pictures are taken, posts are made and bios are changed.
Sure it is a happy milestone in one’s life, and social media users just want to share their accomplishments with others. It’s the first step into a new life that’s outside the high school bubble. But these overwhelming amount of posts can make social media a toxic environment to show off on.
It puts a lot of pressure on high school seniors to feel like they have to post about what college they will be attending next year and can lead to individuals feeling inadequate if they an equally competitive college. Even if you choose not to participate, this leads followers to question if you actually even got into a decent college or a college at all.
Furthermore, it gives an opportunity for your peers to scrutinize your intelligence and search up the competitiveness of your college. The better the college, the better you think of that person.
It makes me fearful of the upcoming spring. What if I don’t get into a good enough college? What will I post on Instagram, and how will my peers perceive me? While all my friends may be heading off to their dream schools, I might be just going to my safety. At the end of the day, Moorpark ‘20 does not sound nearly as flashy on a post as UCLA ‘22. But, it shouldn’t matter. Social media is only a superficial display of what you want to show off. It’s not really a measure of your intelligence.
Your college decision does not define you. Here’s to a still equally valuable you ‘22.
