A new era of social media, where everything from “flawless personalities” to their BIG achievements is on display. This has compelled us to adapt it to avoid the fear of missing out (FOMO). Although these networks have helped us become more updated and close to our loved ones, they have also encouraged comparison.
What we percept is not always what reality is. The desire to keep up with this virtual experience is burdening. It ironically dooms us to demotivation and unhappiness, especially for the content consumers. Watching the perfect lives of the online creators makes us obsessed with “the perfect life.”
While disheartening us when these unattainable standards do not come true.
The Actual Concept
We need to recognize the actual context behind that specific content. For instance, a video on social media is not perfect until long editing, adequate lighting, and temporary props are not included.
When we develop goals to achieve that particular perfection level, which does not even exist in the real world, our heart shatters into pieces. It consequently demotivates us enough to tag ourselves as losers. We start thinking about how easy it is for the creators to get success and, on the contrary, how easy it is for us to fail.
Hours of scrolling through Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube can make our brain believe that we are productive. After a few weeks, you reply with a typical response that “I have become lazy.”
But most of the time, we mistake maladaptive daydreaming with laziness leading to unproductivity, which is linked to a higher rate of anxiety. It entirely depends on the user, whether social media is a disheartening journey or a conscious experience. We can utilize information present online to transform our lives, or we can exploit them as a source of time pass with baseless and temporary satisfaction.
Research and Reasoning
Research by Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project and Elon University’s imagining the Internet Center highlighted the possibility of developing psychological and medical syndromes such as ‘depression’ caused by a “new world society.”
The reason is how this society portrays itself in front of the audience. These new world online personalities might be different from their offline character as typing something that people want to see, is more enticing than the reality, which can mislead people.
This inherently unbiased expression of social media can force a person to make unrealistic expectations, causing a feeling of perfectionism. It can be as destructive for a person’s mental health as any mental disease can be.
Therefore, we should understand the perfect body of a celebrity as natural. It should never be about the comparison. It is time we let go of self-pity for good. We should not harm our mental health by trying too hard to achieve unbelievable goals or, sometimes, owing to the pressure of perfectionism, not even taking the first step towards betterment. Instead, we should try according to our capacity, accept our flaws, and grow.
Author Bio:
Javeriah Mustafa – She voices her concerns about society. She also vocals how the youth of today can be prevented and used in a better way.
