Sadness in the Age of Social Media: Scrolling, Comparing, and Suffering
We live in a hyperconnected world, yet we’ve never felt so alone. Social media promises connection, but often breeds dissatisfaction. How can we turn this tool into an ally of joy?
We wake up and, before even saying “good morning,” we reach for our screens. We scroll through polished images, perfect smiles, dreamy travels, sculpted bodies, celebrated successes. We scroll, compare… and often suffer.
Social networks, created to connect us, expose us daily to a
showcase of other people’s happiness—which we know is filtered and curated—yet still makes us feel out of place.
As if our own life, in all its simplicity and imperfection, somehow mattered less.
The problem isn’t what others share. The problem begins within us, in
how we relate to what we see. It starts with a quiet, often unconscious comparison that whispers corrosive thoughts: “They’re happy… I’m not.”
This is how a new form of modern melancholy is born:
scroll-induced sadness, invisible but pervasive.
The Unspoken Envy
This isn’t the loud, traditional kind of envy. It’s something more subtle: a lucid sadness, often accompanied by guilt (“I shouldn’t feel this way. I know it’s just appearances”), but still powerful.
When we see someone fulfilling a dream, a quiet voice asks: “Why not me?”
There’s no shame in that. It’s human. Comparison is part of our psychological makeup.
But when it’s fed daily, for hours, with digitally perfected content, it can become toxic.
Unacknowledged and unwelcomed, these emotions pull us away from ourselves and from real joy—the kind that grows from presence, authenticity, and gratitude for who we are, not just what we show.
The Loop That Drains Us
Many people fall into a vicious cycle without realizing it: they feel inadequate after seeing certain posts, so they share something too—to feel “seen,” “liked,” “validated.”
But once the effect of the likes fades, the emptiness returns.
The need for approval can never be satisfied if it stems from the fear of not being enough.
Social media then becomes a tragic theatre: everyone on their own stage, everyone both actor and spectator in each other’s lives—and all lonelier than ever.
Are Social Media the Enemy?
No. Social media is just an amplified mirror. The problem isn’t the platform—it’s how we use it.
Every tool can be poison or medicine. It depends on how we handle it.
Social media can be a powerful force for
awareness, kindness, and authenticity.
It can bring joy, if we choose not to impress but to
express.
Questions to Ask Ourselves
- 👉 Am I posting to share… or to fill a void?
- 👉 Does this content truly reflect me… or is it just a mask?
- 👉 How do I feel when I look at this photo? Love, inspiration… or inferiority?
Before posting, ask:
Am I feeding my ego or my heart?
Before scrolling, ask:
Am I looking to compare… or to connect?
The Sempreunagioia Way
To use social media the Sempreunagioia way is to choose authenticity over perfection, presence over filters, genuine sharing over performance.
It means having the courage to show your bad days, your doubts, your fragile thoughts.
Because true human connection is born in vulnerability.
It means sharing a sunset that moved you—not because it’s “Instagram-worthy,” but because it reminded you that you are alive.
It means writing a thought straight from your heart, even if it’s not polished—because it’s real.
And above all, it means learning to
look at others’ lives without losing sight of your own.
Because every time you compare, you risk forgetting that
your joy doesn’t need to look like anyone else’s.
Social media has opened a window to the world—but sometimes, it’s clouded our view of ourselves.
Joy
doesn’t need filters,
can’t be measured in likes, and
doesn’t grow with followers.
Joy lives in feeling whole, present, connected to yourself.
And yes, you can find it on Instagram—if you know where to look:
not in perfect lives, but in
honest moments,
welcoming words, and
inspiring gestures.
Remember:
📌 Joy is not a goal to display, but a way of living—even in the digital world.
📌 And with every scroll, you can choose: to be drained… or to be nourished.
Sempreunagioia









