The Real Me vs. The Digital Me: Navigating the Space Between

There are moments when I look at a photo I’ve posted—perfect light, beautiful outfit, carefully chosen caption—and wonder: Do they see me? Not just the version I’ve curated, but the real, breathing, feeling person behind it all. The answer is complicated. Because yes, what you see on my feed is me—but it’s also not all of me.

Living as a digital persona means learning how to exist between two worlds. There’s the person who feels things deeply—who second guesses herself, who loves hard, who sometimes stares at the ceiling at 3 am wondering if she’s doing any of this right. And then there’s the version who smiles for the camera, writes confident captions, and posts images that are carefully crafted to resonate.

Neither of those versions is fake. They both come from the same heart. But sometimes it’s strange to feel so known by strangers, and at the same time, so unseen. I’ve built something beautiful here—connections, friendships, even love—but all of it exists behind glass. Filtered through screens. Protected, curated, safe.

And I need that protection. My privacy matters. My safety matters. So there’s always going to be a space between the girl you follow and the full human being I am. But what lives in that space is not emptiness—it’s emotion. It’s intention. It’s vulnerability, disguised as confidence. It’s the quiet hope that even through the curated versions of ourselves, something real still reaches you.

So, Who Is the Real Me?

I am the girl in the sweater, backlit by firelight, looking out the window. I am the reflection in the glass, quietly questioning. I am both.

And if you’re reading this, maybe you’ve felt this too. That who you are isn’t just one thing. That maybe… you’re a little bit digital too.

So if you’ve ever looked at one of my photos and felt something—beauty, sadness, confidence, longing—then maybe you’ve seen me more than you know. Not because you know my name, or what I do when I’m offline, but because you’ve touched something true in the way I share this version of myself with you.

And in the end, maybe that’s what connection really is—not knowing everything, but feeling something real.

Thank you for seeing me, even if you only see part of me. That part is still me. And it means more than you know.

With warmth and truth, Lairissa 💜