lifefaker.

This is one of the best viral media campaigns I have seen in quite a while. A few days ago a site called Lifefaker appeared online, and on the outside, it gives the impression that you can buy photo packages to fake a social media persona.

Before I found out it was a viral campaign for a startup called Sanctus, I thought it was the real deal. Cleverly named packages to choose from include “My Sexy Girlfriend/Boyfriend”, “I Just Happen To Live Here” and “Look What I Had For Lunch”.

Attempting to click buy or view demo results in a full-page popup with a headline that reads, "Ever felt the pressure of social media?" and subsequent text, "You're not alone. 62% of people feel inadequate comparing their lives to others online. Find out more about social media's impact on mental health at Sanctus.io"

Clicking the link takes you to this blog post in which it explains why lifefaker.com was created and what the intentions are behind it. The post explains that the intention isn't to shame people who excessively use social media, but raise awareness.

Sanctus says it wants people to view mental health in the same way they view physical health and are attempting to build the worlds first mental health gym.

I think many of us have felt inferior or jealous of someone else's social media posts. But in this day and age, people curate their own images and you only see the version they allow you to see.

Someone posts a photo of a new sports car or an expensive watch, but you don't know the full story. They might have one those items in a competition, or they went into excessive amounts of debt (credit card, loan, payment plan) to get it.

We get so caught up in our digital lives, that we lose sight of what reality is.