This week on IMO, I want to talk about how social media affects our self-perceptions. This is a topic that needs to be addressed more.
Self-perception affects how we see ourselves in connection to particular ideas as well as how others see us. This constant exposure to images of seemingly perfect individuals can lead young people to develop unrealistic expectations about their own appearance and life achievements.
Life is never perfect, and sometimes as humans we tend to doubt ourselves when we see someone’s life on social media and assume that it is perfect when, in fact, it may not be. Behind closed doors, we are unaware of what is happening. A couple may appear to be happy on camera, but we have no way of knowing if they are really happy off camera. In some cases, others might body shame others, but they could edit their photos and do not utter a single word. We may see a woman who tears other people’s appearances, but has likely undergone surgical procedures, or we may see a woman who encourages surgery, which is something that has become normalised a lot without realising the potential consequences.
In the past, I was someone who believed that everything revolved around social media. There was a time when I used to look at certain things and doubt myself, thinking why don’t I have this or think I was useless because I didn’t look a certain way.
Social media is an important part of today’s world. It allows people to stay connected and share ideas, thoughts, and opinions. There is no doubt that social media can be beneficial, but it can also be harmful, and I soon learned how important it is to take a break from it sometimes.
My point is that not everything in life is what it appears to be, and that not every post you see on Tik Tok, Instagram, or Snapchat is genuine. The posts that other people make may be intended solely to maintain a particular image or lifestyle, but you never know if a person is actually happy. Some people lack their own identity. Rather than focusing on others, make sure you focus on who you are as an individual and build whatever you are doing in life.
Be happy within yourself and love yourself as a person. It is important not to dismiss who you are as a person because everyone is unique and special in their own way!
Take a break from social media from time to time if you need to, don’t get distracted by what you see, be distracted by what you do for yourself instead. Maintain a healthy balance of being on social media, it’s ok to log off for a day, a week, a month or even longer depending on how you feel. Motivate yourself with goals you want to achieve in life.
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