REEL LIFE

What Does REEL LIFE Mean?

The Quick Answer

REEL LIFE means "The deception of a perfect life online."

More Detail...

On Instagram, it is typically used to talk about Insta-famous people that post pictures of their "perfect" lives. Though more common on Instagram, the term may also be used to describe any social media profile (e.g., Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, etc.). Since the beginning of social media and online sharing, the majority of users have only publicly posted the best and most exciting parts of their life. This means that many of their followers are falsely led to believe that every picture they post online (in their REEL LIFE) is an accurate portrayal of their real life. Although REEL LIFE was first used to describe the perfectly arranged, perfectly lighted, and perfectly edited photos on a person's feed, it can now be used to describe a person's online portrayal through status updates. Although a person's REEL LIFE is not an accurate representation of their real life, the term isn't synonymous with the word "lie." It carries the connotation that their life on social media is "not always as it seems." This is because anything negative or ugly has been purposefully omitted. The word "reel" in REEL LIFE comes from "camera reel." The term is a clever play on words because REEL and REAL are homophones (a word that is pronounced the same as another word with a different meaning). Someone's REEL LIFE juxtaposes with their REAL LIFE.

Image for REEL LIFE

When I write REEL LIFE, I mean this:

["REEL LIFE" contrasts with "REAL LIFE."]

Summary of Key Points

"The deception of a perfect life online" is, by far, the most common meaning for REEL LIFE when it is used in a text. (Bear in mind that it could have another meaning if used in a different context.)

REEL LIFE
Definition:	The deception of a perfect life online
Type:	Slang Word (Jargon)
Guessability:	2: Quite easy to guess
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

Examples of REEL LIFE in Sentences

Here are examples of REEL LIFE in conversations:

• Tony: Instagram makes me wonder why my life isn't perfect.
• Jordan: The Insta-famous accounts only show their REEL LIFE.

• Tony: I wish my real life was as glamorous as my REEL LIFE?
• Jordan: It's impossible.

An Academic Look at REEL LIFE

REEL LIFE is a pun. A pun is a witticism that plays on the different meanings of a word or two words which sound alike but have different meanings. The REEL in REEL LIFE is a homophone (a word that is pronounced the same as another word with a different meaning).

Example of REEL LIFE Used in a Text

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