Reality vs. Social Media

In a world dictated by technology, social media has become a lifestyle for both the old and the young. It is a way for people to express themselves, to show off what is going on in their lives, and to stay connected with others. Although social media has its pros, the bottom line is most people feel they must keep up an “image” on social media, consequently this makes others feel insecure and inferior.

We have become obsessed with taking a million pictures to get the perfect one that will get us the most likes and comments. And then we take hours contemplating a funny, relatable, or deep comment to match the flawless look of our pictures.

The problem with social media is that everyone wants to show the highlights of their lives. Whether that be the aesthetically-pleasing kale smoothie they took one sip of and then threw the rest away this morning or the adorable picture they just posted of them kissing their boyfriend that was taken in the 5 minutes that they had a break from fighting. The person on the other side of the screen will see this picture of this healthy smoothie and think that they aren’t doing enough to be as conscious about what they’re eating causing their self-esteem to plummet.

There are many signs that will indicate if social media is negatively affecting a user’s life. One of them being a harmful effect to your mood. Not just a lower self-esteem but a worse general mood. Another sign is disappointment, which shows social media is filling your mind with perceptions of what your life should be like leaving you unsatisfied with real-life situations. Social media is also having a direct negative impact on people’s ability to communicate well with one another. It is becoming increasingly hard for them to resist checking their phones.

Obviously, it won’t be possible to completely get rid of the problems caused by social media by eliminating the concept. But instead if any of these signs become noticeable try taking a break from social media and focus on who and what is going on around you.