“Taking breaks” or “cleansing” can be appropriate and beneficial forms of maintaining balance in a world of digitization. Digital practices must be regulated and digital literacy must be built in youth, teens, and other active users of social networking websites.
Social media platforms have gained immense popularity in recent years. With an audience of billions of users, everyone from youth to adults and elders is using social media for various purposes. Social media, as we know it today is both a platform for networking and communication and has also emerged as a tool for self-promotion, marketing, expression, and more. Ranging from influencers, businesses, and freelancers to creative individuals- there is
room for everyone.
However, this increased social media usage and screen time has resulted in mental health concerns, particularly among the youth. Researchers have long explored the effects of social media usage on mental and emotional health. Pressure to meet expectations and the increasing desire to appear flawless are practices that have become common in the recent era. As a result, authenticity and credibility on such platforms have been compromised.
Social media today gives individuals various ways of self-presentation- through profile pictures, also known as display pictures (DPs), posts, and various other content-sharing formats that allow for the creation of a “digital self” or a “reel self”, in turn concealing undesirable aspects of an individual’s life and often showcasing the “highlights”. Various forms of social feedback such as likes, comments, views, or other forms of engagement are used as popular forms of social
approval. This, in addition to social comparison and an innate tendency to present a more desirable social self, has led to various concerns amongst avid social media users. According to a study, social media users believed others to have a more fulfilling and happier life based on their posts on social media. Social influence also plays a huge role in creating this “digital self” as users get influenced by peers and online trends.
However, it is important to note that authenticity is never a linear concept, rather it is complex and subjective. Individuals belonging to different backgrounds or survivors of trauma or any painful experiences might find it relatively difficult to share aspects of their personality online. They might end up presenting a more glorified version of themselves. Research has shown that while some people hide their challenging experiences, others are rather open to talking about them online as a way to gain support. These negative events can include the death of a loved one,
loss and grief caused by major life changes, sexual abuse, life transitions, unemployment, divorce, and so on. Since the outward expression of such life events is stigmatized in offline settings, the expression of them online, especially on social media where hate and abuse are ever-increasing can be challenging for users.
“Positivity bias” is another challenge to inauthentic self-presentation on social media platforms. This can be defined as sharing only positive or desirable aspects of one’s life online, thus leading to a faulty perception of one’s life happenings. However, social desirability bias can further lead to individuals showcasing the most perfect and “made up” moments online on social media further leading to an inauthentic online presence. It refers to the “tendency to deny
socially undesirable traits or qualities and to admit to socially desirable ones.”
Since these platforms inevitably lead to huge amounts of social influence, the online practices of a few can trigger many to follow the same. Growing hatred, abuse, cyberbullying, and general unacceptance of people’s “real selves” has led to increasing inauthentic and strategic self-presentation online, another result of which is the creation of fake profiles or “finstas” wherein members of social media allow only a private, close list of individuals as viewers of
their content leading to a relatively real version of themselves for the eyes of a few. This strategic self-presentation in turn has an impact on identity and the individual soon begins to act in a manner that may be tailored to the needs, likes, and desires of the audience. Unspoken “norms” of social media combined with unrealistic expectations, social comparison, and pressure to conform have led to immense dissatisfaction among the youth, especially females. A study revealed that participants perceive social media as a “reward system” and wish to present an “idealized” version of themselves.
“Taking breaks” or “cleansing” can be appropriate and beneficial forms of maintaining balance in a world of digitization. Digital practices must be regulated and digital literacy must be built in youth, teens, and other active users of social networking websites. With a change in visual styles, trends, and social habits, and with the emergence of new forms of media, users must be digitally literate, educated, and informed in making decisions regarding their online identity, leaving safer online footprints. Social media users must strive for genuineness, vulnerability, congruence, and
consistency while maintaining healthy boundaries on these platforms for efficient usage of technology and media. While the influence of social media on individuals is inevitable, it is important to understand the mental and psychological side effects of social media usage, especially on impressionable young minds. Establishing boundaries, maintaining a healthy and safe social media practice, and detoxification from technology may be a few tangible ways to
manage the effects of media effectively.