Toxic positivity is an extreme form of optimism that involves the conscious or subconscious act of avoiding, suppressing, or even hiding negative emotions or experiences. [1]  Although often well-intended, it isn’t doesn’t always have that effect; it can also lead to negative emotions being avoided at all costs.

This generation always posts positive experiences on social media like, “I made my home beautiful” or, “Look at my boyfriend; he’s amazing.” But in actuality, your home might be a mess, and your relationship could have multiple rough patches.

This focus on positivity makes others believe that their own lives have to be perfect all the time. However, this is because the influencers they watch aren’t showing their real emotions.

Always being positive online is an unhealthy way to live. No one is perfect, and if you feel as though you have to be, that’s part of the problem.

You shouldn’t have to look at the world around you and feel as though you need to keep smiling when, deep down, you are on the edge of a panic attack, or just full-on crying.

With close friends, the moment you feel like you can’t show your genuine emotions to them, you know they aren’t exactly true friends. If you’re uncomfortable to the point you can’t communicate, are you really that close?

Or could it be the grasping need for positivity driving a wedge between you and your friend, partner, or even Instagram followers?

Toxic positivity is one of society’s underlying issues, forcing everyone to wear masks to hide themselves. This also interferes with people seeking to fit in.

If you are obsessed with fitting in — especially in a world full of “perfect bodies,” “perfect vacations,” and “perfect relationships” — then, unfortunately, no one will ever be able to wake up and smell the roses.

No one can be in a state of constant positivity, no matter how much we want to be, because life is unpredictable. We can be full of positivity one day, and the next, not so much.

Social media is changing the way people view the outside world. If both myself and others have decided to look past social media’s toxic positivity, then maybe one day, we will finally realize that the decision to improve our lives is our own, and not just behind a screen.