Social media creates a breeding ground for insecurities. Although social media can have its perks, it quickly brings people down because of how others display their lives.
“The public view, you don’t see what’s going on behind social media or behind what they said. You’ll hear some of it, see some of it,” Miranda said.
As a society, people only see a small portion of others’ lives, which causes constant comparison and false expectations due to that portion being perfected for public view and most often unrealistic. According to a study done by Clarissa Silva, 60% of people that use social media have reported their self-esteem levels have been impacted negatively.
With constant comparison, the process of posting is a mentally exhausting one, especially among teens.
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I grew up with a body that didn’t look like my peers. And what I didn’t understand was couldn’t look like my peers, because we were totally made up in different ways.
— Ida Milani
“When I post something on Instagram, I’ll just have to have that mentality; ‘Okay, I like this photo, and I’m posting for myself. I can do this; I can do this.’ And I’ll just click the button with my eyes closed because you never want to visualize the bad things people can say to you,” White said. “You’re creating that negativity in your mind because people aren’t even saying anything yet, but you can make up things about yourself because people have commented that in the past.”
The thoughts that continue to run through one’s head when sharing things on social media can take over in all aspects of their life. Although social media can induce negativity and self-consciousness, it is essential to develop confidence first and remember that what matters is the personal view.
“I used to look in the mirror and cry because I hated what I looked like. Over quarantine, I was able to really focus on myself. And even though it took five months, I’m able to just see myself in the mirror and be like, ‘You know what? I deserve to be happy,’ it’s something that people shouldn’t expect to happen overnight,” White said.
*This name has been changed to protect the anonymity of the source, in accordance with Carlmont Media’s anonymous sourcing policy.
