I post a picture
of myself
and immediately I
Refresh.
A minute has passed
and no one has double tapped
to like my picture,
the picture,
of
me.
Do you not like me,
do you think I’m ugly?
Is this picture not interesting enough
for you?
Another minute has passed
so I
Refresh.
Why hasn’t anyone commented on it yet?
Why does my last post have at least
ten people
saying I’m pretty
while this picture of me
gains no reaction.
I think I should just
Refresh.
I stopped writing
this poem
to check my feed.
Why am I
so hungry
for likes?
What good does
this photo of me do?
My fingers twitch,
my eyes glance
at my phone,
and I can’t help
but
Refresh.
Refresh.
Fresh.
I freshen the page,
to see how many hearts
are directed my way.
Directed to the
picture I took three weeks ago,
but decided to post
now.
Do these hearts
equate to love?
To friendship?
I don’t even know half the people who like
this picture
of me.
An hour has passed
so I
Refresh.
Is this amount of likes
acceptable for the time frame
that my picture has been up for?
No.
So I
Delete.
Erase that picture…
God what was I thinking,
I don’t look good in that.
I look ugly.
I’m ugly.
That’s why I’m single,
That’s why nobody has
gone out with me.
That’s why
I’ll never
go out with
anyone.
Why would anyone like me?
I don’t look like them,
like the girls
who I see everyday,
with thousands of likes.
I go on my phone,
straight to Instagram,
and I
Refresh.
I wrote this poem as I thought about my generation and how they connect with one another. Instagram. Facebook. Twitter. Social Media is a big aspect of our lives, and at times, it influences our thought process and how we not only perceive others and the world around us, but also ourselves. I have never been a confident person, so at times, I easily fall into Social Media's trap. I start critically judging myself. I understand how toxic this is, but yet, I still find myself doing it. This poem reflects my thought process as I post a photo, look at my feed, and in the midst of all that, try to love myself.
