LIFE

Let's be real―life as a teenager these days is hard. Sure, your parents may have had to walk to school in six feet of snow (uphill both ways according to Dad), but they didn't have the one thing that makes the struggle *so* real: social media. As much as you love reading your best friend's hilar tweets and spending hours scrolling through Insta, navigating the online world is definitely not always easy.

We totally get it, and so does sixteen-year-old Ruby Karp. In fact, she gets it so much that she wrote a book about it. (Well, that and all the other stuff every girl can relate to―from friendships to dating to school.) Earth Hates Me is basically a guide on how to deal with the issues most teens face written by, well, a fellow teen.

And to celebrate the release of the super relatable read, we've rounded up the top five things *every* girl experiences on social media. Peep them all (and laugh along) below, then scroll down to snag your copy of Earth Hates Me.

1. Choosing the right filter.
Your makeup and hair are on point today so, after taking 12308459 slightly different selfies, you've finally chosen which picture you want to post. But now comes the big question: Clarendon or Valencia? It can take *hours* flipping back and forth between the two, trying to decide which is better (you'll prob screenshot both and send to your BFF for a second opinion, too). And once you finally make your pick, you realize you have to write the perfect witty-but-not-trying-too-hard caption.

2. Accidentally liking your crush's pic. Uh, from 3 years ago.
You're super excited to show your sis the cutie you've had your eye on for weeks (that hair! those dimples!). And as you're scrolling through your feed, you find one of your fave pics of him and tap to open it so she can get a closer look...but instead you end up *double* tapping. And it's from 2014. Ring. The. Alarm. You quickly undo it, but it's too late―the damage is done. You can only hope he doesn't see the notification. Fingers crossed.

3. Getting weird looks when trying to take the perfect pic.
If you're at a cute coffee shop with your BFF and don't snap an artsy shot, does it even count? But actually capturing your gorg latte art, artfully arranged cookies and Ugg boots all in one square is super tough and usually calls for some out-of-the-box photography techniques or not-so-subtle setting up. Which can be awk when you're in public...but the Tumblr-quality pic you end up with is *totally* worth the stares you got standing on your chair taking it. #DidItForTheGram 

4. Scrolling instead of sleeping.
You get in bed and decide to check Instagram one more time before you call it a night. Fast forward four hours, it's 2 a.m. and you're still mindlessly scrolling through your feed. Every girl knows how easy it is to get sucked into social media (that one night you discovered the #puppyoftheday hashtag was the worst).

5. Suffering from *major* FOMO.
As if having to stay home on a Friday night studying for your SAT practice exam wasn't torturous enough, now you have to watch your squad's Snapchat stories of the Halloween party they went to. Ugh. Even when you choose to curl up with sweats and Netflix instead of dinner and the movies with your girls, the fear of missing out never fails to creep in.

For more on the struggle of social media (plus, even more on tackling teen troubles), CLICK HERE to pick up your copy of Earth Hates Me from Running Press or find it in bookstores everywhere.  

What do *you* love or hate the most about social media? Tell us in the comments! 

by Amanda Tarlton | 10/3/2017