If 62 is the number in red on the top of your math test, for most of us, it’s total devastation. Your entire week is ruined, and one thing racing through your head for the rest of the day is that wretched 62. If 9 is the number of likes on that cute photo you posted the other day, it’s a deflating disappointment that many would feel. And if the number on the scale is not up to par, many people would consider themselves worthless. Our lives have become a constant system of ranks, assessments, and numbers. The days of passing judgment on others based on personality are gone, and now we judge based on how good a person’s numbers are. We compare ourselves to the numbers of others, such as how low another person’s weight is, how high their paycheck, how high their GPA. Self-worth is no longer based on quality of character, but quantity of numbers.
In today’s social media consumed society, it has never been easier for people to broadcast their numbers to the world. When scrolling through a Twitter or Facebook newsfeed, a simple click of a button can take you to a page where you can observe the number of friends or followers a person has. Teenagers have taken on this mentality that if you don’t have a substantial number of followers or friends, then you aren’t “cool”. Many feel they are not important if very few people are witnessing their tweets or status updates. This state of mind is harmful and not at all accurate. Twitter and Facebook can let the world witness your witty tweets or relationship updates, but they will never let anyone see who you really are. In the end, self-worth should be based off what you think of yourself, not what the world thinks of you.
So next time you receive a failing grade, a drop in your GPA, or you lose a follower, remember that these things cannot and should not define you. You are not your numbers. You are a person- a 3-D, living and breathing person with ideas and creativity and love that the rigidity of numbers cannot portray. You are the things you love and the things you laugh at and the way you treat others. If your GPA is not up to par or you are feeling down because of poor grades, remember that in the end, those are not the things you will be remembered for. You will be remembered for the impact you make on the world. To quote Miley Cyrus of her pre-wrecking ball, twerking-with-a-teddy-bear days, “Life’s what you make it.” Don’t make your life a mass of calculations.