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Social media is a prominent form of communication in what is recurrently called Jet age. It is quite known that the more time people spend on social media, the more depressed they become when comparing their lives to others. On top of feeling depressed by comparing our live to others, depending on the amount of likes and dislikes we do and do not recieve, the depression may intensify. People use social media as a way to get attention from others. Those that are not getting as many likes as others, are seen as less popular and less appealing to the rest of the world.
Therefore, it is a matter of great concern that what supposed to be the medium of boosting self-esteem has become a wild in lamb's skin. Contrary to expection, this content does not condemn social media as the prime cause of low self -esteem in people. It simply points out that certain conscious approach to social media can affect the self esteem of the person who habors such consciousness. This content is a problem solver not a problem finder.
How then does Social media affect self-esteem
- Perfect image projection syndrome
- "LIKE" pressure syndrome
- Cyber bullying
Perfect Image projection syndrome
One of the things we have learnt from socialmedia is the projection of the utopian self and subjugation of our real self.Everyone strives to post their best pictures and updates. But some do not know that those pictures are few out of many other bad ones. Therefore, those who fail to understand this syndrome, the perfect image of what they are not in socialmedia, get low self esteem when they try to compare their normal self with their utopian counterparts.
"Like" pressure syndrome
One always feel like "why is my own case different" when a scenario of posting one pictures on social media and not getting enough " like" like others. You would feel that you are not good enough compared with those who recieve more likes than yours. Therefore, social media provides a constant stream of "why did no one comment on my post?" " Why did that post get more likes than mine? " " Why did that special someone not react to my post?" "Why do I never have as much response as someone else?".
With that level of pressure, it is little wonder how social media is steadily deteriorating self esteem as one struggle to deal with the constant competition associated with Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and more.
Cyber bullying
Cyber bullying has added an increased viciousness to the torment that many experience everyday. It means that not only that one can be bullied and tormented physically, the torment can continue even with avenue provided by social media. Therefore, exposure to social media can really hurt a person's self esteem as he/she faces the torments closely linked with the so called perfection of peers.
Some dos and don'ts that can help in avoiding social media effect on self esteem
- Keep tragic events to yourself
- Be mindful of what you post
- Criticising your friend's friend
CONCLUSION
Because social media provides a platable platform where people meet without necessarily meeting physical, peole tend to project a favourable image of themselves. the inarrestible urge to project their utopian self become evident.
Therefore, those who fail to understand that social media is an utopian world, have issues with their self esteem with others. Social media supposed to be an avenue of self expression and exploration of others, and not the battleground for competition of " who is more perfect or popular than the others? Maturity is highly needed in social media, not only for one not to lose the self in the attempt to project the self but also for one to know how beat to use the social media.
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