Airbrushing

When they began airbrushing the models in fashion magazines fifty years ago, no one complained much. Everyone knew, we thought, that it was some sort of make believe.

But then they started airbrushing our food.

And then vacations.

And family photos.

And brands.

And jobs.

Spend enough time looking through the glass on your tablet and you'll come to believe that you're the only one with a less-than-perfect situation. With the right filter, the grass really is greener...

Which may very well cause you to amplify the differences, to magnify the distance between you and the airbrushed person with the online life. It's gotten to the point where people even airbrush their difficulties, making them ever more dramatic in their drama.

"Compared to what?" is not always a great question. It might be better to merely say, "this is pretty good."