Dad's 'Insta-Perfect' Post Shows How Social Media Doesn't Tell the Whole Story

Admit it, you’ve beaten yourself up for not having as much of a handle on things as so many other parents seem to have based off of their Instagram and Facebook posts. But here’s the thing, a picture only tells half the story, and it’s natural for people to want to portray themselves at their best.

And, yes, this includes bloggers too! Canadian dad David, of the blog Life With Benjamin, wants his followers to know everything is not always what it seems when it comes to his life.

“I’ve moved dishes, I’ve changed shirts, and I’ve fixed my hair,” he admits in a recent Instagram post.

“Outside this tiny square, my life is just like most people. My kid drives me nuts, I don’t do enough chores and sometimes, the only thing that gets me through the day is thinking about which pretty picture to make next,” the dad says.

We can all relate. At one point or another, we’ve all used a filter, edited a picture or staged a photo opp (and sometimes we do all three of these things for one post!), because as parents, we don’t already have enough pressure on ourselves as is, right? But the next time a photo on Instagram or Facebook update makes you feel inferior as a parent, remember a picture can only say so much.

Many have taken to the dad’s post to express the same sentiment.

“I cannot love this more! The most annoying thing on social media is the refusal for people to be real. Perfect is fake and only makes people feel like they’re not doing a good enough,” one follower chimes in.

“This is brilliant! Speaks to everything I dislike about social media, but also participate in somehow on certain levels. I always try to just be real and invite people into my life a bit in a real way, but it’s hard to resist making things seem more perfect than they really are. Love this picture as a reminder not to cave to that pressure,” says one user.

“So much truth! I feel people forget sometimes that social media is a bit of a movie—only the big or memorable events make the cut, the rest remains behind the scenes,” another user perfectly points out.

The next time you find yourself falling victim to the comparison trap, try out a few of these practices to help combat the social media envy.

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