Scarlett
Lopez
11/10/17
Is Social Media My Enemy?
"Teenage girls are particularly susceptible to anxieties around social media... 22 percent saying an unsatisfactory number of likes on a photo made them feel bad about themselves."
The social media era has brought some AMAZING benefits. You can now stay connected with friends, family and colleagues. Businesses can promote themselves online and receive honest feedback from customers. The whole digital era has made a huge impact with social media, but is it perfect?
Like everything in life: no, social media is not perfect.
No one can deny that social media has many benefits on many levels, but it also has its dark side. Social media has functioned as a bridge between individuals and their social circle, where they can express personal information as feelings, interests, events... the list goes on. With this being said, social media offers different platforms for individuals (or businesses) to promote their personal brand. Whatever you post on the social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest or LinkedIn, will impact your public image. People around you will judge and create an idea of you, based on what you offer on social media.
Why does an unfollow hurt so much? Why does having "only 10 likes" on your new post make you want to delete it? We have given so much importance to our social media networks that it has slowly consumed us. Even though, women are more likely to be affected, EVERYONE has faced social media as an enemy.
The more we prioritize social media, the more pressure and anxiety/depression it will give us. The Verg's article by Kaitlyn Tiffany, "The cinematic obsession with obsessive women has finally met the age of social media" shows a study where "Instagram was associated with anxiety, depression, and issues with self-identity and body image, saying that the platform encourages women to compare themselves against unrealistic, largely curated, filtered, and Photoshopped versions of reality.” The article also touched on how teenage girls "worry about being tagged in unattractive photos" and having "an unsatisfactory number of likes on a photo made them feel bad about themselves."
WHEN DID WE LET THIS HAPPEN? Social media was supposed to help people connect and interact, bringing communities together. Due to its popularity, social media has slowly become an enemy to many as it influences our minds to "think more than we should." SO WHAT if I have 10 likes on one post and have 60 likes on another? SO WHAT if I don't look like a Victoria Secret Model on my family vacation pictures? Body shaming is lame. The amount of likes or follows DOESN'T define us!
Social Media is here to stay, so people should adopt not by giving in, but by building confidence and having fun when sharing. If you're afraid of what someone can comment, don't have them as a friend in the first place! Social pressure is a huge NO.
I am a firm believer of "if a person wants to bring you down, then they are already below you." Stay away from those negative vibes! We are hearing more stories on anxiety/depression/suicide, and their statistics are frightening. One major factor in these stories is social media.
Have you ever heard "there is more than meets the eye"? This is 100% true for social media. People are fake on social media. Period. Many women use Photoshop on their bikini pictures, and Foodies don't really have that daily perfect meal they posted. People tend to only post the fun and happy stuff. What people must understand is that no one wants to share their sadness on social media, which doesn't mean that they are always happy and have great lives. We. All. Have. Problems.
My questions for you is... is there really a place for the truth on social media? Please comment below! Share your thoughts on social media!