Joanna M, having followed you for some time on internet, a few things strike me:
1. Although you use the "social media" extensively, you are trying to hide yourself. So, it remains a mysterie what you think about your stay in the USA. The same applies to your stay in:
"München 🇩🇪
Amsterdam 🌷
and
Barcelona 🦎"
https://www.instagram.com/mihaylovajoanna/
Obviously you want to remain anonymous. So, on 6 oktober 2026 you reacted indignantly after I published a portrait of you. "You took a photo of me without my consent? That's totally not okay." You added: "did you maybe think of asking me beforehand?" Surely it is quite normal to publish a photo of you, since you used portraits of yourself on Facebook and Instagram. My question is: why did you get so uptight about publishing a photo of you? Why do you want to remain anonymous, while telling me very private things about yourself? What are you searching for in Western Europe and the USA?
The interesting fact is that you expect something from our world. But what? The whole idea of internet was to break the barriers between peoples, but still you are erecting new barriers. What are you searching in the West? Read this:
"The Age of Superficiality: How Social Media Is Distorting the Human Ideal
Rafaelmkfloripa
We are living in a time where validation no longer comes from real human connection, but from algorithms. Our appearance, opinions, and emotions have ceased to be authentic expressions and have instead become carefully curated products in search of digital approval. Social media, originally created to connect people, has quickly transformed into a showcase of manufactured perfection. Instead of reflecting who we are, it now dictates who we should be.
Perfection as Social Currency
Flawless faces, sculpted bodies, lives of luxury and constant happiness. The feed does not show reality; it shows aspiration. The aspiration to be accepted, admired, followed. Image has become more valuable than experience. Offline life, with all its imperfections and nuances, has turned into something to be concealed — as if feeling sadness or insecurity were signs of failure.
This relentless pursuit of visual validation creates a new human standard — no longer based on character, intellect, or empathy, but on aesthetics, status, and metrics. Likes have become modern applause. Followers, a symbol of relevance. The algorithm is our new judge of worth.
The Illusion of the “Enhanced Self”
We no longer consume content; we consume the idea of who we wish we were. Every filter, every edit is a brick in the construction of a persona that barely resembles the person behind the screen. Our digital identity stops representing our true self and starts becoming an aspirational projection — something constantly out of reach, perpetually unfinished.
.jpeg)
And the further we are from the character we create, the more ashamed we feel of who we really are. In this context, self-esteem becomes an unstable variable, dependent on engagement. Identity itself is outsourced to the gaze of others.
Superficiality Becomes the Norm
The issue is not merely in showing the best of ourselves, but in erasing any sign of humanity. The culture of the highlight reel promotes the belief that life must be perpetually extraordinary. Problems, failures, doubts — all silenced by the fear of appearing ordinary.
The consequence? A world in which everyone seems to be living better than you. Where success appears effortless, beauty seems natural, and happiness looks permanent. This narrative, repeated daily, redefines what is considered “normal” in society. Suddenly, simply being human — with flaws, limitations, and contradictions — is no longer enough.
When Image Replaces Essence
The superficiality of social media creates a deep paradox: we are more visible than ever, yet more invisible in our essence. We are seen, but not truly known. We follow trends but lose identity. We gain an audience but sacrifice authenticity.
The human ideal — once built upon values, culture, and purpose — is now being distorted by digital metrics. What matters is what draws attention, not what has meaning.
The answer is not to abandon social media, but to regain awareness. To understand that it presents fragments, not full lives. That it influences perception, but does not define value. We must remember that dignity is not found in likes, that character is not measured in engagement, and that our worth is intrinsic — non-negotiable by algorithms.
Perhaps the greatest act of rebellion in our time is choosing to be real in a world that glorifies the artificial.
Because in the end, the essence of being human has never been about appearances — but about the depth of what cannot be posted.
Remain Strong, Johanna, and you will succeed.
