What your favourite social media app says about you

What’s the first thing you do when you wake up? Drink water? Stretch? Meditate? Let’s be real, you likely check your phone.

Whether it’s scrolling through your Instagram feed or catching up with Snapchat streaks because you’re stuck in 2016, there are plenty of social media apps to choose from — and the first platform you open in the morning can say a lot about who you are. 

Here’s a detailed, totally scientific list of what your go-to social media app reveals about your personality.

Instagram: The curated life aesthetician

Instagram gives off effortlessly cool energy, while also being a little obsessed with appearing effortlessly cool — if you know, you know.

If your go-to app is Instagram, you live for the grid. No candid photo you post ends up being one of the 15 pictures you narrowed down. Every post is planned, filtered, and arranged like an art gallery. You don’t just post a photo, you are telling a story … or at least trying to.

The pic of your fresh latte at an upscale café is a symbol of your sophisticated lifestyle. That vacation photo from six months ago? A humble brag that says, “Yeah, I’ve been to Italy.” 

There’s a very thin line between “effortlessly chic” and “trying way too hard” — and it’s a balance that Instagram struggles with. I’d give good ol’ Instagram a solid 8/10.

TikTok: The chaos enthusiast

If TikTok is your fave, it’s your second brain. You relate to most of the videos you see on the platform, and I’m pretty sure one of your daily catchphrases is “I saw that on TikTok.” That app can probably process your brain faster than your therapist because of its algorithm.

You have at least tried one unhinged trend and probably treat “delulu is the solulu” as a guiding philosophy. You often share more TikToks with your friends than actual texts, which is both sweet and a little overwhelming. People who use TikTok are smart, funny, quick witted, and know a bunch of fun facts.

But beware, those five more minutes of scrolling can suddenly end up with you convinced that you can start your own micro bakery at 3:00 am. You must constantly balance your chaotic and funny nature with genius. Also, please touch grass. TikTok is an 8.5/10.

Facebook: Drama lives here

If Facebook is your favourite app, two things are definitely true: you’re over 40 and you secretly thrive in chaos and arguments. Facebook is where the family drama begins and ends. If you are active on this app, you either love keeping tabs on people (i.e., stalking them) or run a business page. Facebookers also use their time to buy and sell goods and keep up with each other’s birthdays. You might be here for the tea, but sometimes the tea is stale. I’ll give Facebook a 6/10.

Snapchat: The time capsule

It’s not 2016 anymore! Snapchat users are living in a world full of streaks and selfies. For some, the dog filter is peak comedy. The memories section is 98-per-cent inside jokes that no one understands. From quick snaps and texts to late-night video calls, the app has multiple uses. Snapchat offers chaotic teenage energy, especially if you are using it at 26. It’s nostalgic, but it’s time to move on. I’d rate it 5/10. 

Pinterest: The secret romantic

Pinterest isn’t just an app but a whole lifestyle. It’s for the people who dream of luxury and having cool aesthetics. You must have made at least one vision board, be it for a destination wedding or your ambitious cookbook. This app is a solid 7/10. 

Discord: The underground world 

Discord is an entire ecosystem of servers and roles. It’s for people who love niche communities and staying up late to talk to people from around the world. The conversations might be real, but chatting in these spaces too often could mean spending half of your life online. This is probably one of the reasons your social battery is always drained. I’d give Discord a 6/10.

“I don’t use social media”: The holier-than-thou minimalist

We all know someone who proudly announces they’re not on social media as a personaly trait at social gatherings. They claim they like reading books and enjoying the real world. Well, good for you! The rest of us would like some memes to get through the day.

However, these people aren’t entirely truthful. You bet they scroll on LinkedIn and watch some YouTube every now and then. They’re just doing it undercover, while secretly judging everyone else. So congrats, you’re free but also boring! I’d give no social media a 4/10.

At the end of the day, your favourite app doesn’t completely define you — but it does say something about what you value. So whether you’re perfecting your feed or sending blurry snaps to your bestie, just know social media is less about who we are and more about the weird, chaotic ways we want to be seen.