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How Social Media Can Destroy Our Self-Esteem

The Side Effects Social Media Can Have on Mental Health

By Anna PembreyPublished 7 years ago 3 min read
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'Take a selfie, fake a life' - Camilo Matiz

Social media is a great tool for reaching out to friends and family, staying connected with their lives, and keeping up with interesting events and articles. However, when we use social media to increase popularity, or follow people we admire obsessively, this can have a huge affect on anxiety and depression.

When browsing through your newsfeed on any social media platform, we can see countless pictures and updates from others that paint the picture of a fun and successful life—whether it be that girl you knew in high school who has gained online fame with flattering pictures of herself, or that guy you worked with once who has made their way up the corporate ladder. We won't even go into how many of your friends and family seem to get engaged or announce their pregnancy every other week! It can sometimes seem that everyone on your friends list has the perfect life and are overtaking you by miles in the race of life.

Let's be honest, how many times have you looked at another person's account and thought, "why aren't I there yet?" Or "why can't I be that happy/beautiful?" The truth is, we have all been there—including the people you wish you could become.

The problem with social media is that we are seeing fully edited versions of a person's life, not the cutting room floor. When someone posts an update of their fantastic day out with their other half, or their expensive new clothes, they are showing you the parts of themselves that they want you to see. They won't post about the fight that they had with their spouse just before taking an adorable selfie together, or the credit card debt that afforded them that glamorous new dress.

The truth is, very few people on social media will allow you in to the venerable and relatable parts of themselves. It is a widely-belived myth that people take selfies because they are vain and self-assured, and want to boast their beauty to the world for further admiration. In fact, the majority of those who take these pictures are usually the most insecure people you will encounter.

Taking a picture of yourself gives you control to choose flattering lighting and angles, or even those who go to the extremes of learning how to photoshop their images. After taking a dozen or so photos, they will scroll through to find the best one, put a filter over it to further delude the public of their natural beauty, and post it online with a confident phrase underneath. These are the people that you would never guess need compliments and "likes" from complete strangers in order to feel less insecure for a fleeting minute of delusion.

Anxiety is fuelled by the feeling of comparison to others, and depression will consume anyone who lives their life attached to these platforms constantly attempting to find validation from others.

While I'm not suggesting that you go ahead and delete all your social media accounts, it is important to know when you need to take a step back from these websites and become proud of the person that you are, and the life that you have without the need for others to know every detail. Do not post the infamous "I'm quitting social media/I'm taking a break from social media" update—it will only create drama for yourself, and others will see straight through it. Simply take a step back and have some time to yourself or with real social interactions without feeling the need to tell people that you have a life outside of your computer screen. I guarantee you'll have much more fun and happiness in your life than those posting pictures of themselves every day.

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About the Creator

Anna Pembrey

Mental health and self-care warrior.

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