The deep-seated sense of inadequacy, FOMO, and fractured reality born from curating and consuming a perpetual highlight reel. The trauma is a blend of aesthetic anxiety (why is my life not color-graded?), social comparison (how are they always on a yacht?), and the performative exhaustion of maintaining a "personal brand." It rewires your brain to see experiences as content first, moments second. The constant chasing of validation through likes and follows leaves you feeling both addicted and empty, obsessed with metrics that measure nothing real about your worth, in a world where everyone is a competitor in a beautiful, silent race.
Example: "Her trauma from Instagram is so bad she can't enjoy a sunset without framing the perfect shot, then spending an hour stressing over the caption and checking for likes instead of watching the colors change. A casual picnic with friends feels like a failed photo shoot."
by Abzugal January 30, 2026
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