Did social media actually ruin high school for everyone?

Social media didn’t just hurt my self-esteem—it turned high school into a popularity contest where the algorithm decided who mattered. Likes, follows, and cringe-worthy trends made everything feel like a performance.

I spent years comparing my real life to curated feeds of people who seemed perfect. The worst part? I knew it was fake, but it still messed with my head. Now I wonder if anyone else felt like they were living in a highlight reel they didn’t star in.

What do you think—was it just me, or did social media make high school way worse?