Every night before bed, I tell myself I’m only going to scroll on TikTok for a few minutes, but somehow, I always end up watching a video of a girl showing off her $700 shopping spree – a spotless, brand-new apartment or a closet full of trendy outfits she probably wears once. I don’t know about you, but it definitely makes me feel like I’m supposed to have all of that too, even though my bank account says otherwise.
Social media has become this giant highlight reel of people showing off the “perfect” lifestyle. The cute coffee runs, the designer bags, the nails, the hair, the skin care routines, the constant shopping hauls – it’s everywhere, and honestly, it gets exhausting.
Now, trust me, I love a good haul just as much as the next person, but for college students, or anyone for that matter, it creates this pressure to keep up with a lifestyle most of us can’t actually afford. Yet somehow, because we see it every single day, it starts to feel like that should be the norm.
That’s where we get into trouble.
A lot of us are stuck in this cycle of romanticizing the “perfect aesthetic” life we see online. We want our rooms to look like Pinterest boards, our outfits to match whatever is trending and our social lives to seem exciting enough to post about.
Now let’s look behind the scenes. Most of us are broke, working part-time jobs, paying rent, buying groceries and somehow trying to squeeze in money for gas or a late-night sweet treat. Yet we still feel like we need the newest makeup, the latest fashion trend, the cutest apartment decor and the constant “treat yourself” moments. In reality, it’s just not realistic for a busy student with a part-time job and overpriced rent.
Now I’m not pointing fingers. I fall for it too. I’ve bought things because I saw someone online with them, even if I didn’t need them or knew I probably wouldn’t like them. I’ve stressed about my wardrobe not looking “put together” enough and wanted to reinvent my style every other week. I’ve scrolled through videos of perfect morning routines thinking, “Why doesn’t my life look like this?”
The crazy thing is, these people aren’t even showing their real lives. They only show the good angles and the nice lighting. They don’t show the stress, the debt or the mess behind the camera.
This constant comparison is hurting us college students more than we realize. It leads to overspending, unnecessary stress and even feeling like we’re behind in life, just because we don’t live like someone online who only shows the good parts. The truth is, most influencers don’t even live like that without brand deals or credit card debt.
There has to be a point where we step back and ask ourselves, “Why are we trying to keep up with a lifestyle that isn’t meant for us right now?”
We’re in college, and it’s OK if our apartments aren’t perfectly decorated. It’s OK if we can’t afford every new trend. It’s OK if we have to budget. Real life isn’t supposed to look like a social media feed. College is hard enough without feeling like we’re supposed to live like mini influencers.
Maybe the most “aesthetic” thing we can do is just be real and quit letting social media control how we live our lives.
