curious

July 21st -- several hours post Kennebec Pass 8 mile hike

     Lately I have been seeing a lot of articles floating around online. You've probably seen them- "27 steps on how to be 20, 15 things to do before you get married, 8 ways to know you have gone completely off of the deep end, etc.." It has all just been burning on my mind recently. I am not above this craze, I have seen the articles, read them, engaged in the social media aspect of it all. I wonder, though, how much people are taking seriously? How often do people judge their own lives based off of what they are finding on the internet? It seems to me that more and more the internet is being used to validate feelings, be them positive or negative.
     I am not intending/trying to bash these articles, social media, or the like of it all. I just really wonder if people have forgotten what it means to live, and how to be content with themselves. I worry that people have the notion that "if I don't check off this list of other people's accomplishments, have I really done anything at all?" I also wonder how dependent we as a society have become on the internet and how damaging it is in personal relationships "in the real world." Instead of meeting with friends to catch up, it is all done in seconds with an update online. And it doesn't stop there, now instead of your friend knowing your innermost feelings, so does the community on the internet. And the online community may not be as accepting or as caring as one would be in person. It seems there is the trend of "if I don't post it on the internet, did it really happen?"
     (I realize this is completely unrelated to travel and probably hypocritical coming from someone updating a blog, but I hope the point is clear, my opinion is clear. That's all it is- my opinion.)
     I wish for people to measure their success in their own way, without comparison or validation from others. I just feel more and more like shaking people and saying "Look up!!! You are not the internet!!! It turns off and you keep on living!" I wish for everyone a vote of confidence from within, from whatever it is that makes you happy first. Not from some list of what describes you, should define you, is it dictating you? I don't know about anyone else/can't speak for anyone but myself but this is my list of what I need to do before the day ends:

How I should be: How I am. 

For me, that is plenty good enough. 

~Brianna