Social media has a massive impact on how we perceive our surroundings and react to different situations. It’s uncanny how we’re constantly trying to create the perfect persona on social media platforms rather than making our reality better. Staying active on social sites and apps has its advantages, but sometimes it feels like this habit has made us progressively superficial.
Once you start scrolling through social media feeds, hours go by like minutes. All the content we aimlessly consume makes its way into our subconscious and affects the way we think. Social media is a trendsetter and it’s the best source for keeping up with all the latest news. On the other hand, it can be misleading and deceptive too.
If you look on the bright side, it is spreading the right kind of awareness on countless subjects. For instance, I was looking for a reliable internet provider in my area, and social media helped me discover Xfinity. Thanks to the company’s active social media channels, I was able to get in touch with Xfinity customer service in no time!
While social media does provide a daily dose of useful information and entertainment, spending too much time on there can be problematic. Here’s how social media has changed the way we think:
Contents
1. Aiming for “Pretty as a Picture”
Aiming for “Pretty as a Picture”
Unrealistic standards have been around since the beginning of time, but social media has taken them to a whole new level. Everything showcased on social media is overly glamorized, and we can’t help being drawn to the enchantment. At the end of the day, we want to join the race of living a life that is as pretty as a picture.
A picture speaks louder than a thousand words, but are those words genuine? Every photo or selfie posted on social media has gone through some if not extensive editing. Nobody’s face or life is naturally that perfect or sparkly, so you do the math. Nonetheless, we will add a dozen filters and do everything in our power to make our photos comply with the so-called standards.
It feels like social media is covertly encouraging us to despise our reality. Everything has to be artificially enhanced before it can be deemed good enough to turn heads online. We instinctively scroll past visuals that lack the wow factor we’re trying so hard to accomplish.
The Addiction for Approval
Has social media ever felt like a brutal blow to your self-esteem? Suppose you uploaded a nice picture or post just to be ghosted or receive a long list of upsetting comments. The people with negative things to say about you were complete strangers, yet their unfounded opinions made you feel small and pathetic.
Do not feel ashamed if you’ve let your mind drag you to a dark place because some person with a fake name and cartoon character for their profile picture ridiculed you on social media. It has happened with the best of us, and it just shows how desperate we have become for approval from others.
We live for the likes, heart emojis, and any other form of appreciation we can get through social media. When a picture you post gets the right kind of attention and reactions, it seems like you are on the top of the world; right?
Fear of Missing Out
The fear of missing out, also known as FOMO, has become a prevalent phobia among all generations existing today. Many of us cannot stand being off social media for longer than a few minutes. You could be in the middle of an important meeting or conversation when you get a notification from a social app on your phone, and that’s when you want to abandon everything and cater to it first.
You could be expecting a comment on your post from that special someone or a reply to a message you sent earlier. A mere notification drives you into a frenzy and you cannot waste a minute, as if that would be the end of the world. If the internet stops working out of the blue or the app crashes, your head might explode.
Dreamlike Brand Building
Everyone is obsessed with “brand building” these days. Every time I check my social media feeds, two out of three people are trying to market a product or service. Defining and flaunting your personal brand is a good thing, as it certainly helps generate clout. However, the thing that bothers me is that the majority are not showcasing their true self.
How others present themselves on social media compels us to follow in their footsteps. We’re awestruck by their success and fan following, so it seems like a good idea to become their doppelganger. We lose track of our individuality and strive to be someone who is nothing like us; over time the lines are blurred and we earn ourselves an identity crisis.
Psychology of the Herd
If everyone on social media is doing or supporting something, it feels like you have to be part of this influential herd. Once again, our decisions are driven by the need for approval and fear of missing out on something of significance.
Majority is the authority on social media, so we’re ready to sacrifice our actual thoughts and sentiments to be on the winning side. The psychology of the herd comes in the way of expressing our true colors and embracing freedom of speech.
Summing Up
Social media is where people from all over the world speak their mind and share experiences, so it’s not surprising that the tantalizing content impacts the way we think. However, we should not believe everything we see, and take some time off to connect with our reality.