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  • Writer's pictureThe Sailor's Log

Social media has changed people's true identity, self worth

Column by Mia Dickson, staff writer


Social media can be one of the best or worst things to happen in society. It can bring people who are miles away together, but it can also tear people apart.

While social media has given me the opportunity to connect with friends and family who live states away and allowed me to strengthen relationships with the people closest to me, it has also attributed to my insecurities.

The constant pressure to present the flawless picture is horrendous. Apps such as Instagram have become a popularity contest of who has the prettiest smile, best body, coolest outfit, best vacation, and the list goes on and on.

While this issue is prevalent in apps used by teens, it has also infiltrated Facebook, which is now filled with some adults sharing pictures with the sole purpose of boasting about their family, house, vacation, their children’s achievements, or even career success to other adults.

For many people, including me, social media has become a rite of passage for the wide-eyed middle and high schoolers entering the world of technology. It provides a gateway to the world outside the four walls of a small Michigan town. It creates exposure to different people and lifestyles, but it only provides a snapshot of their life.

While social media does have positives, it has also highlighted the darknesses of our society.

We set these unreasonable standards that every single picture has to be “perfect.” These standards in society tell people that a person with pounds of makeup and hours of edits on a picture gets them more popular than a picture of their true, authentic self.

Social media allows a person to depict a version of themselves which is oftentimes completely different. When looking at a picture, the viewer only sees the creator’s “perfect” snapshot without seeing anything behind the screen.

Pictures on social media are oftentimes the “perfect” person with a “perfect” life of happiness, but their lives are usually far from that. Behind the picture plastered with edits are the acne, tears, beauty marks, imperfect teeth, and stomachs without abs; and the list of “flaws” goes on and on.

When people see a “perfect” picture on social media, it can lead to ordinary people trying to change themselves into someone they aren’t. People in today’s society are so used to comparing each other to these snapshots that they’ve lost their authentic identity in the process.

The pressure to throw away one’s own identity and change for someone else creates this fear of not being good enough, but in reality, everyone is. The pressure to present a perfect picture on social media can also lead to excessive makeup, photo editing, plastic surgery, depression, and even suicide.

The pressure to gain likes creates a garden of fire in people’s minds telling them that they aren’t good enough since their picture didn’t get as many likes as their friend or a previous picture.

A persistent comparison of beauty and likes has led to social media becoming this popularity contest. People are so used to the satisfaction of other people’s opinions to provide their happiness, but they have lost themselves in the process.

Why are we chasing this self-satisfaction on an app? Why do we crave people’s approval from double-tapping a picture to make us happy? Why do we compare our lives to a snapshot of someone we’ve never met? Why do we allow ourselves to travel down a deeper and deeper or hole of judgment and negativity through the pursuit of perfection?

The truth of social media provides the answers.

While the previous intentions of social media are good, it has now created this toxic environment that needs to change to protect society’s mental health and well being.

As of 2019, Instagram’s new update has removed a prominent feature of the app. Users are now unable to see how many likes another person’s photo received. This removes the competition element to Instagram, which should be applauded.

The fear of a photo not receiving “enough” likes is now eliminated. I am hopeful this allows people to post more authentic pictures and spreads the message that likes on social media aren’t everything, but one’s self-confidence, happiness, and authenticity are.


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