So picture this, you open Instagram to reply to a single message. Just one. But ten minutes later, you’re knee-deep in someone’s vacation photos, another person’s “What if my crush likes me back?” quoted stories and a fitness guru who swears you can get abs by drinking lemon water. Suddenly, your life feels… well, kind of basic.
If that sounds familiar, hi, you’re officially part of Gen Z, also known as the Connected, Creative, and Constantly Comparing crew. We didn’t ask for this game, but somehow, we’re playing it 24/7. Let’s be real, our lives exist online. Friendships? DMs. Relationships? DMs. Even therapy sometimes? Yep, DMs. We’re basically social creatures living in pixels.
But here’s the problem: being “always online” also means being “always compared”. You post about finally finishing your assignment, and then you scroll… and see someone else starting their own business, proposing to their partners, finally getting their crush to like them back and looking flawless under golden-hour lighting. Meanwhile, you’re like, “Bro, I just had noodles for dinner… again.”
Our Secret Weapon, Humor. Now, Gen Z has one superpower, humor. We take our pain, sprinkle some sarcasm, and boom, it’s a meme.
Stressed about exams? Meme it. Broke? Meme it. Existential crisis at 2 a.m.? TikTok it. We basically laugh so we don’t cry. As one viral post said, “Some of my friends are celebrating the two-year anniversary of their relationships. Me? I just searched, ‘Will Instagram be allowed to see profile views? ‘Relatable? Too relatable
Comparison, Friend or Foe?
Here’s the thing, though: comparison isn’t all bad. Sometimes it lights a fire under us. Like, your friend starts a podcast, and suddenly you’re like, “Wait, maybe my random late-night thoughts could be content too.”
But most of the time? It’s exhausting. Social media is everyone’s highlight reel, not the blooper reel. Nobody uploads their 2 a.m. breakdowns or failed projects (unless they’re turning it into a joke). Yet we keep comparing our mess to someone else’s best. As someone once said, “Behind every perfect desk aesthetic is a mountain of dirty laundry just out of frame.”
So, what do we do?
Deleting Instagram sounds tempting, but let’s be honest, we’ll be back by tomorrow. The healthier option? Curate your feed. Follow accounts that make you laugh, not just influencers who make you spiral. Post your unfiltered moments too, because someone else out there probably needs that dose of realness. Most importantly, remember you’re not late. You’re just on your own timeline. Or as Gen Z would put it: “I’m not behind; I’m buffering.”
Final Scroll…The truth? We’re all winging it. Some people just wing it with better filters. So, the next time comparison sneaks in and whispers, “You’re not enough,” just hit back with a meme, a laugh, and maybe a reminder that no one’s really got it figured out. Because if there’s one thing Gen Z knows, it’s this: life may be messy, but at least the Wi-Fi’s strong enough to laugh about it together.
Written By: –
Rtr. Kihansa Wickramasinghe
(Junior Blog Team Member 2025-26)
Design By: –
Rtr. Nethmini Pathirana
(Junior Blog Team Member 2025-26)
