Instagram got you insta-depressed?

a little more vibrant, or our thighs a little smaller, or our skin a little smoother, or our dinners a little more glamorous, we do it. We DEAR NATALIE: I have have set the bar so high that a bit of a problem when it we are the culprits in curating comes to living on my Instagram our own lives just to impress account. Everywhere the online world. My I go, I seem to have [Fear Of soon-to-be teenage stepson Missing Out]. Everyone tells me that unless his seems to be doing better friends’ photos hit a certain than me. Better dinners out, amount of “likes” on Instagram, better vacations, better they delete them. clothes, etc. I love seeing They are so worried about what my friends are doing, people seeing a photo with but I feel waves of jealousy. less than 45 or 50 likes that It’s not a good look. I don’t they literally wipe those know what to do. My life is memories from their not at all interesting. Any phones. advice? — FOMO We are all living online MADNESS now, and reality is a break

DEAR FOMOfrom the faux-realness we MADNESS: I need you to have created on our social back away slowly from the media accounts. It is unhealthy smartphone. Just set it and depressing. Of down. You can do it. I believe course you would feel like in you. You are not you are missing out when alone. I think the whole everyone’s photos are of vacations, country needs an instabreak. dinners out and fabulous The sick part is that events. But guess we rail against the media for what? photoshopping pictures and You and I both know that creating unrealistic standards isn’t reality. They aren’t to live up to. Well posting the other 23 hours of guess what? their day when their kids

We are the media, all of throw cereal all over the us, and when given the opportunity floor, when their car breaks to make that sunset down on the way to a job interview or when they have a pimple the size of Montana on their chin. Come on, this is life. I recommend going on an instadiet. Limit your time on social media to one hour or less a day. I find that when I leave my phone at home or turn off notifications, I breathe easier and feel less anxiety. After all, if it isn’t fun, why do it?

Natalie’s Networking Tip of the Week: Can’t afford the ticket price to charity events that double as good networking opportunities? Ask to volunteer at the event. Help sell tickets, help set up the event, get your foot in the door that way. Many times, you will be given a seat at the table because of it and most likely will meet the people running things. They’re the ones you want to network with in the first place!