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Life isn't as perf as it looks on Instagram. Here's why you need to know.
When Madison was feeling miserable at college, she'd look through her Instagram feed and see all the awesome, light-hearted and smiley pictures her friends were sharing. It seemed like they were all having a great time and she was the only one who wasn't, even though her feed was filled with the same sort of pics and her friends had shared their own stories about the difficulties of adjusting to college life. Friends and family believe that it was this disconnect that contributed to her depression and, ultimately, her death.
That's why Madison's friends have started a new campaign called #LifeUnfiltered in an attempt to spread awareness that outward appearances aren't always representative of reality, especially when those images are carefully cultivated and edited on social media like Instagram. Through the campaign, the college students have shared some pics from their own Instagram feeds, as well as what they were really feeling at the time.
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Through #LifeUnfiltered, Madison's friends don't want to just share the message that Instagram doesn't always represent real life, but also that it's okay to not be okay—and to show it. If you're struggling, it's okay to admit it. Talk to friends. Talk to family. Reach out to your guidance counselor, doctor, clergyperson or mental health professional, they can help. If you're feeling depressed, or like you might hurt yourself, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 24/7 at (800) 273-8255. This call is toll-free and no charges will appear on your phone bill.
Read Madison's full story here at espn.com.
Photos credit to: espn.com, instagram.com/maddyholleran
VIEW THUMBNAILS
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Emma Sullivan, top middle
"This picture makes it seem as if I'm really comfortable and happy at Boston College -- just loving college life. This was during my first two months of freshman year, before one of the Saturday football games. But the part you can't see is how anytime I went home, or anytime I talked to my mom, I would just cry for hours. That first year was hard. I liked BC and the friends I was making; I just really missed home, missed the life I had there. I was just not used to all the changes."
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Jaclyn Poulis, left
"I look so happy in this picture. That's not at all how I was feeling. This was the worst weekend of my life. I'm a dancer on the University of Tennessee's dance team, and in the picture, I am with my childhood friend Carly at the college dance nationals at the ESPN Zone in Orlando, Florida. Although I look like everything is great, inside I was falling apart. Madison had passed away just two days before, and that was all I could think about."
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Trisha Gloria, right
"This is me and Madison during Thanksgiving break of our freshman year in college. We both were home from school for the week. Madison was dancing in the kitchen, and I just remember she seemed like she was extremely happy and carefree. She was not. Now looking at photos, I see how much happier we make ourselves appear on social media."
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Justine Moran, left
"This picture was taken on Jan. 17, 2015, which for most people is just another day, but for me it will always be the anniversary of Madison's death. This image was actually one year to the day after she died. I had to work hard to look extremely happy in this picture. That day was so hard for me. I did everything I could to keep a smile on my face, but for some reason it was important to me that I seem OK."
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Jackie Reyneke, third from the left
"This is me at a Christmas formal at Princeton University with all my best friends. Look how happy I seem. We all have such big smiles, like everything was perfect. But really, one week later, I went home for Christmas, and on Christmas Eve I hit rock bottom. I was just so sad, and filled with emptiness, and I can't make sense of how I was really feeling, and how I look in this picture."
POSTED IN dealing with depression, dealing with death, In the News, social media
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