Don’t social media platforms make you feel like everyone is having the best time of their life and you’re the only one who’s stuck?
The online reach of social media platforms is increasing every second. No matter which region you pick, you’ll find a substantial percentage of users there. Simply look at the user count with respect to each leading social media platform, below:
There are a total of 4 billion internet users out of which 3 billion are those who are busy scrolling their newsfeed. Do you ever wonder how these sites keep up entertaining their users? Well, the basic criteria or the functionality of the algorithms working at their backend involves gathering information and details of the users and giving them a personalized newsfeed.
When you watch a story or check out the posts of your friend on Instagram, your newsfeed automatically marks that person your favorite and starts showing you more of his content. Similarly, all your search results help the platform in identifying where your interest lies and to offer you what you would be interested in.
Now what we do is, we get carried away in the glitz and glamour of the social world. We watch amazing stories of our social media friends and get inspired. However, what we may not know is that these stories tend to feed the insecurities we carry in our head.
Steve Furtick threw light upon the reality through his words, “The reason we struggle with insecurity is that we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel.”
To optimize the user’s experience, social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat all get updated regularly. For instance, Instagram updates for the year 2021 targeted many areas of user experience from introducing vanish message features to enhancing the search results and other factors of the UI/UX. The core purpose of these platforms is to encourage users to stay involved and to spend more time on them. But what about the negative impact overexposure creates?
- Fear of missing out
- Inadequacy about your life
- Isolation
- Cyberbullying
- Self-absorption
These are some common psychological disorders among frequent users. Among them getting trapped in the fake bubble and feeling insecure about everything you have is one major issue. So how does one deal with this?
Look At the Real Picture
Open your eyes and look at the real picture. Do you think the lives they portray are real?
Most people in your newsfeed are those who pretend to be happy.
Let’s take a ride through the real world and check out the experiences of people:
If you look at his picture you’ll find him happy and satisfied, but that’s not the truth.
Here is Jessica, a young mother who was sleep-deprived and struggling with a lot of postpartum problems yet she posted an adorable picture with her baby.
So, the point here is, what people portray is not the truth. You watch these photos while fighting many battles of your everyday life and feel insecure about yourself. If you are a mother, you would think “why can’t I be so happy?” if you are a teenager you would feel “why can’t I be so contended” these are the thoughts that give birth to unidentified disorder social media injects.
Respect Yourself
Learn to love yourself. Respect what you have. Be thankful for what you own and above all own your weaknesses. You are a human who may be full of flaws and make mistakes. You may not get everything but what you have is enough.
You may not look like a celebrity but how you carry yourself is amazing. You may not flock your hair, wear pompous clothes, put on a lot of makeup, or have an exotic shoe collection like others, but you know how to earn a good living and make the most out of your life. Do not get carried away with what you see on your newsfeed.
“You will never have enough until you are grateful for what you have.”- Richelle E.
Editing the Reality
Users on the social media profiles post pictures after editing them a fair bit. Filters available on Snapchat, Instagram, or Facebook can completely change your facial features. You can add more glamor to your ordinary image.
In the quest to look amazing, people edit the reality. They create a faux world where everything looks awe-inspiring. Before eating a meal, they capture the photo for their Insta-story. Before exploring a place, people check in on their profiles just to tell the world how enthralling their lives are.
There are massive photographs skills, filters, and applications all designed to give a new look to the user. Some tools can edit your videos to make you look way younger, prettier, and clear-skinned. But these tricks must not divert anyone from reality. You should know the difference between real life and one that’s portrayed on social media.
Stop Chasing the Wrong Goal
Your goals must not be to show people how awesome your life is when in reality you are still in the ditches. Instead, indulge in something useful, achieve something big and the world will applaud. Strive to make a life worth living and cherishing. People always tell what they have not what they can’t have or miss out. Stays grounded with reality and learn to adore yourself.
If you want to do something better on social media, follow the creative people around you. Check out the discoveries, innovations, and posts about some sort of productivity. Enhance your knowledge about the world instead of wasting your time gluing your eyes on so-called-amazing-life of people.
Wrapping Up
Everything has some pros and cons and it’s on you what you choose. You can do great spending time on social media or can continue feeding your insecurities. So, think, evaluate and make your move.