Social media was born in the early days of the internet. A means for people to communicate, share photos and ideas, one could say social media started with the first email, back in 1971. Since then, with the help of websites like MySpace, Facebook and Linked-In, social media has become an industry unto itself with more current accounts than people on the planet.
While social media is meant to connect people and create positive experiences, there is a downside which many don’t realize. While some enjoy posting their every random thought or moment, the majority of us take time to carefully sculpt our digital image using select photos, songs, videos or other media that we believe will project to others what we want them to see. Recent studies are finding that many times, when one’s own personal image does not meet up to the image they believe they project in social media, the result can be depression, low self esteem and a slew of other issues. As we sculpt our digital image, we rarely portray ourselves in a poor light. This creates a subtle psychological competition of sorts between us and our “friends” who may be presenting themselves or their digital identity in a manner that “outshines” us.
When one posts on Facebook or other social media, many times the number of “likes” one receives, the greater sense of importance one feels. Dr. Susan Newman, PH. D., who conducted a study on social media and narcissism, stated “The more ‘likes,’ ‘retweets,’ etcetera, that some people receive gives them a feeling of importance. They represent a form of reassurance that they are recognized by a large number of ‘friends’ in spite of the fact that they may not really know most of them.” Social media has been studied for it’s affects on the individual by many organizations, including Psychology Today.Psychology Today concluded that we receive a boosted ego every time one of our posts is liked. The down side to social media is that besides boosting ego, it can be stressful. The American Psychological Association recently conducted a study on stress. According to the study, 39% of teen girls find social media stress significant.
Instagram has come under fire lately for “killing girls self esteem” but is there any truth to it? According to a study at Humboldt University Berlin, Instagram, a photo sharing social media site, causes low self esteem due to the number of “cues” being observed of people happy, rich or successful. This brings us back to the internal subtle perception of competition between us and our “friends.” Watching images of your friends engaging in fun events, wearing nice clothes, driving nice cars, wearing nice jewelery, will have an adverse affect on your feelings of social standing which can and does lead, many times, to low self-esteem. Last year alone, 58% of plastic surgeons saw a dramatic increase in patients under 30 for facial surgery and inject-able treatments like Botox. Was the rise due to social media? These days it is not uncommon for your first introduction to people to be through social media. It appears that some actually are sculpting not only their digital image, but their actual image, to make a great first impression in the digital world.
Social media is a tool. And with all tools there is a danger associated with it. A knife can cut you, a car can hit you, and social media can ruin you if you let it. Like any other tool, know the dangers associated with it and how to over come them. Social media has connected the world and disconnected individuals. Knowing social media’s place in your life and not making it your life, is a good place to start.
No comments:
Post a Comment