The search for insta perfect lives.
By: Joan Wangari
Posted on Monday, July 6, 2020
The pressure to look and live a certain way is real. The presence of social media has heightened this pressure. Most young people are chasing fame and money. Patience is a virtue that young people in Kenya do not possess. It is important to note that celebrities indirectly inflict the pressure to live a ‘perfect life’; this pressure seems to be more for girls. Instagram is one of the social networks is used to portray life as a bed of roses. Nobody on Instagram shares their life’s dark side.
Susan a make-up artist revealed that looking good is her number one priority as far as Instagram is concerned. Narrating this on Real talk talk with Tamima on Switch TV Kenya, she said, “… Instagram is all about looking good, the good life…And who wants to post the bad life.” She confessed that photos of her without make up and nice clothes cannot make it on her profile. The far they can go is the Insta-stories which disappears after 24 hours.
On the show, girls as young as 19 years old professed their willingness to be in a relationship with older men for money. The desire to live a good life is not a crime. Actually not desiring to live a better life than the one you are living now is the real crime. Most of the girls confessed that they came from destitute back grounds.
Speaking on the show, this is what Robert Burale had to say
“Wow listening to this very fine lady speak it just says a lot that we have some semblance of lack of identity because it seems that social media has made us believe unless you have some things then you are not complete. Now of course she wants a 30year old because he is in employment. But I need you to understand one thing, no one will just give you money as if they are an NGO they will give you money and you know you will need to give them something in return…”
Switch TV’s Tamima Ibrahim could not end the show without giving a piece of advice to the young girls.
“… Hard work pays. I’m fortunate enough in that I believe I have done things right. I have worked hard. It has taken me a long time but believe me it is worth it. Even with the little I have it is mine. Are you understanding? I feel so sad if I am part of the pressure you know? because I look a certain type of way the pressure to look like me is what is making you do certain things. I would want to tell you as my young sister it is not worth it. This is just for the show. This is my job. My real life is very different...”
Accepting where you are as a young person is important in living a happy life. Sometimes we inflict pressure on ourselves knowingly. Monitoring the people we follow is important for our wellbeing.
