Social media & self-esteem

 

 

SOme innovations make our life so much more comfortable and better, but, at times, we forget to use the tool at our disposal wisely and end up becoming victims of our own careless behaviour. An excellent example of this is the way we are allowing the internet, especially the social media rule our very existence today. Apart from the more apparent physical signs of gadget and social media addiction, there is also emotional and psychological impact. Like how people start losing their self-esteem, confidence and self-acceptance by believing whatever they see on the internet. A recent research done by me and my fellow students suggests a correlation between social media and self-acceptance and self-esteem.

 

As per the study, increase in one variable, decreases the another. Which means the increase in the use of social media leads to the reduction in the levels of self-esteem and self-acceptance. Screens nowadays just don't capture the eye but the mind and thinking pattern as well. The Gen-Z protests round the world, materialistic trends capturing food and fashion industries aren’t just trends but growing mindsets cultivated in the fields of social media. There is content which helps people learn, grow and create. Such posts and content inspire people. And on these same applications, we can find opinions, served; ready for consumption. Now, people even want their opinions served to them, readily available. It is the same like seeing the world through someone else’s eyes, doesn’t matter even if that eye has a dust of misinformation in it.

 

We all have the idea as to how there are no checks and balances on the authentication of information presented on social media platforms, yet people choose to feed their brains with such information. With the emergence of Al it is even more hazardous to consider which content is genuine and which is fake. With this, forming opinions, cultivating a mindset, a cult and letting a wave of trend flow in the society is concerning. In a similar fashion, the levels of esteem and acceptance is dropping low, with the levels of beauty standards jumping high. Beauty would be too a specific term to use. People follow idealism with unreal standards just because a trend has normalised it. Be it one’s lifestyle, fashion, health, food, exercise or diet, social media has set some unreal standards as normal and must have necessities. People now believe that only a certain body figure, complexion, diet, lifestyle and dressing style is acceptable or else you are lagging.

 

This exactly has lowered the levels of esteem and acceptance among individuals. Reducing over consumption, levels of insecurity and increasing the levels of self-esteem and self-acceptance, we need not actually reduce the usage of screens and social media, but use it mindfully. With a purpose to develop one self and not lose one self to it. Make your opinions alive on the basis of authentic facts and figures, scroll not mindlessly but with care of not falling for propaganda. And let oneself get inspired and not become a comparative loser. Let's make social media a blessing, not a boon to curse and destroy. Let us all protect our self and our mental health, not just on the day of mental health but every day.

 

 

By Priyanka Naidu,

Hislop College