But even in a place that encourages real life connection, another force is shaping how people see themselves. It comes from our phones. It encourages comparison, self consciousness, and constant performance. And it affects more Utahns than we think.

Social media used to feel like a way to stay in touch. Now it often feels like a scoreboard. Instead of sharing moments, many people feel they have to present a version of themselves. The perfect ride in the canyon. The flawless ski day photo. The photogenic hike. The well edited family picture. None of this is bad on its own. The trouble starts when it changes how we think about our own lives.

You do not have to be a teenager to feel it. Adults compare themselves online just as often. Someone else seems to travel more. Someone else is in better shape. Someone else’s family looks happier. Someone else appears to be doing more with the same twenty-four hours. The longer you scroll, the more it can feel like everyone else is measuring up while you are falling behind.

In a state that values personal responsibility, achievement, and strong family life, the pressure to look successful can easily become overwhelming. People do not talk about it much, but the feeling is real. I have met people who run businesses, raise kids, volunteer in the community, help aging parents, and still describe themselves as “not doing enough.” That belief rarely comes from reality. It comes from comparison.

Social media intensifies that comparison by showing us a curated world. Filters remove flaws. Captions rewrite stories. Photos capture only the best angle from a carefully chosen moment. When people compare themselves to that, they are comparing real life to a highlight reel. Nobody wins that comparison.

And the impact on young people is even stronger. Utah teens are not comparing themselves only to classmates. They are comparing themselves to millions of strangers. No matter how well they perform in school, sports, or activities, there is always someone online who seems better. That can erode confidence before adulthood even begins.

Ogden and the surrounding communities understand the value of face to face life. Local festivals, school events, sports, service projects, and family gatherings remind us that real relationships do not come from a screen. The challenge now is to make sure those relationships stay stronger than the pressure to perform.

We do not need to reject technology to do that. We just need to place it in the right context. Social media should be a small part of life, not the filter through which we judge the entire thing.

People here can model that. Parents can talk openly with their kids about what is real and what is staged. Adults can remind themselves that a day spent doing ordinary things, such as working, helping, listening, showing up, matters more than any online post. Families can decide when to put phones down so they can focus on the moment instead of the camera.

Northern Utah is at its best when people feel comfortable living real, imperfect lives. That is what makes communities strong. That is what helps kids grow up confident. And that is what protects families from the quiet pressure that comparison creates.

The outdoors, the neighborhoods, the schools, the churches, the rec centers, the parks. These are the places where real life happens. Comparison culture cannot compete with that unless we let it.

Utah can be a place where people are present instead of performing. If we choose that, we can protect something valuable for ourselves and for the next generation.

Jay Werther lives in Park City and writes about culture, community, and mental health.