I’ve fallen into the trap of social media: it was LinkedIn that beat me.

I understood all the dangers of social media. I even wrote a blog post on young adults’ life challenges and social media was one of the topics.

There are 3 main problems among the young social media users:

• Long hours spent and Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)
• Looking for social gratification (likes, comments, sharing).
• Comparison with others.

I happily avoided all of them when I was scrolling through Instagram. Then I decided to become active on LinkedIn. I protected myself for a while:

• I realize that pictures of happy people in a beautiful environment are carefully selected images to make an impression.
• I know the texts about earning 6-figures after applying some secret tricks are meant to sell.
• I’m happy for people who inform about changed jobs or new diplomas.

What put me down were the titles of the people I studied or worked with:

• Founder.
• CEO.
• Vice President.
• Director.
• Executive.

Why am I not one of them? Am I less intelligent and skillful? Should I be more ambitious?

But then I asked myself one more question: Would I like to be in their shoes?

No, I would not.

I’ve always known I didn’t want to become a big manager. I left the corporate work on purpose and I haven’t looked back since.

So, wherever you are in your life, stand by yourself. Don’t let others or yourself question your value. Shape and follow your path and embrace your choices. Be YOU for you, not for others.