How I Stay Present in This Social Media Age

Updated on July 25, 2016 at 8:00 AM

POPSUGAR Latina contributing editor Daisy Fuentes is an author, international television personality, model, designer, and animal advocate. We're excited to share Daisy's passions and journey with the POPSUGAR Latina audience.

A photo posted by DAISY (@daisyfuentes) on May 13, 2016 at 2:26pm PDT

Life is full of perfect moments — perfect moments that many of us don't fully experience, because we're busy enhancing and photoshopping for social media. What we don't often see in those social media profiles are life's other less-than-perfect, but equally important, experiences.

Everyone, it would appear, has this incredibly, impossibly fashionable life where they're traveling the world and posing with beautiful friends at fabulous parties. Although they make for pretty pictures, they're often not the whole picture. So when you can't help but compare your life to others and feel like you can't, remember: if we knew the whole truth, you wouldn't want to.

Keeping up with the Joneses has never been more prevalent than it is today. Young girls are feeling major FOMO and insecurity when they see they're not invited to a gathering. Women of all ages are trying to keep up with the It girls or the hot supermodels of the moment. Men have also become more vain than ever, posting selfies as often as everyone else.

Social media can be a great way of connecting with new people and catching up with friends and family. But it can also keep you from real life and face-to-face interactions. Too much social media can have negative effects on your mood and can be the cause of unhealthy emotions.

I find today more than ever people of all ages are forgetting how to have real, proper social interactions because they're usually hiding behind their screens and become awkward when dealing with people face to face. After getting some perspective, it's important to find ways to be mindful and connect in real life. Here are some things I do to try to live more in the moment.

A photo posted by DAISY (@daisyfuentes) on Apr 11, 2016 at 9:37am PDT

When I'm out to dinner with friends and family, we all put our phones on the table; whoever reaches for theirs first gets the bill.
When out at a show or concert, I take just a few pics and put my phone away so I can actually see the event live rather than through a tiny screen.
When I'm driving, I don't bother taking the phone out of my bag so that I'm not even tempted to text and drive. Even at the red lights! I make it a point to notice everything: trees, flowers, shops, people, homes, signs, etc.
When walking around, I like to people-watch and notice everything that's going on instead of walking around like a zombie, bumping into people with my face buried in my phone — you know who you are.
Before going to sleep, I place my phone on silent and away from the bed.
I add activities to my life that I can't do with a device in hand, like hiking, Pilates, yoga, and meditation.

Try to be more present wherever you are. And don't get caught up in anyone's virtual/digital life. Admire posts without making comparisons or judgments. And whatever you do, don't be that bitter, jealous person posting ugly, negative comments on strangers' feeds. Remember that not everything is what it seems. There's nothing better than focusing on your own goals, your own life, and your own happiness. Just be present.