We’re not strangers to social media. We’ve all used it at some point in our lives. Social media may seem like it’s a lot of fun. But did you know that it may actually be causing you harm?
Do you spend time on social media? Are you experiencing a decrease in your self-esteem?
There may be a connection there.
How is Social Media Lowering People’s Self-Esteem?
By going on social media, we are constantly seeing the best versions of people. Most people only post good pictures of themselves. Whether it is a picture of them on vacation, a nice picture of them that they took after the hundredth try, etc. Social media is pretty much a highlight reel. It prompts unrealistic beauty standards and when people constantly see how good everyone looks, they start to see a pattern, and they can’t help but compare themselves to everyone that they see online.
However, people don’t realize that the pictures being posted are edited or photoshopped most of the time. They don’t realize that people could have had filters on. They could have taken hours just to get that nice-looking picture. They could have used special lighting or posed a certain way to get the right picture. There is so much that goes on behind the scenes that we don’t know about and when we see the finished results we automatically believe it is real.
This destroys people’s self-esteem because it makes them realize that they don’t look that way. It makes them self-conscious and it makes them want to change themselves to fit in.
Posting also lowers a person’s self-esteem. This is because the majority of people use likes and comments to get approval. If they don’t get a certain amount of likes or comments they’ll feel like something is wrong with them. This makes them feel insecure and feel like they need to change. It takes away their confidence and it makes them want to seek validation through social media.
This is seen a lot more with young kids and young adults. This is because they feel pressured to look a particular way and follow trends. They see celebrities and models and want to look like them but they don’t realize that they are much older and they have a whole team to get them to look like that.
According to University College London, eating problems and disorders are more likely to affect social media users who are around the ages of 10-24. This shows that social media is affecting the way we see our sleeves and makes us want to be different.
Another study shows that teenagers have increased their self-esteem just by limiting the amount of time that they have spent on their social media. This shows that social media is negatively affecting our self-esteem.
How is a Low Self-Esteem Bad For Us?
- It causes eating disorders.
- It makes you insecure.
- It creates unrealistic expectations and beauty standards.
- It makes you lose who you are.
- It makes you feel like you’re not enough or worthy.
- It can cause self-harm.
- It destroys your body image.
What Can Be Done to Stop Our Self-Esteem From Lowering?
You can spend less time on social media. Take a break every once in a while and limit how much you use social media in a day. Don’t spend hours on social media scrolling.
Unfollow any accounts that make you feel like you are less worthy or that discourage you and make you feel bad about yourself. Instead, follow inspiring and motivating accounts that make you love yourself and love who you are the way you are. Follow realistic accounts.
Change your mindset. Understand that not everything on social media is real. They are not showing you everything. Don’t compare yourself.
Post whenever you want and post whatever you want instead of following trends. Have your own content and follow through with it. You don’t need to copy what everyone is doing and when they are doing it. Stay true to yourself.
Conclusion
It is very easy for social media to negatively affect our self-esteem. Don’t fall into the trap. You now know what to avoid and how to fix it. Protect your self-esteem by limiting your time on social media and changing your feed. Fill it with positivity and stay away from unrealistic standards.
To learn more about how social media is lowering our self-esteem, visit https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/self-esteem/the-media-and-body-image-how-it-impacts-your-self-esteem/
References
“Teens Who Cut down on Social Media Have Higher Self-Esteem.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers,https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/the-courage-of-connection/202303/teens-who-cut-down-on-social-media-have-higher-self-esteem#:~:text=Key%20points,significantly%20improve%20their%20self%2Desteem.
Ucl. “Social Media Usage Linked to Eating Disorders in Young People.” UCL News, 29 Mar. 2023,https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2023/mar/social-media-usage-linked-eating-disorders-young-people