Social media could be viewed as a double-edged sword, capable of benefiting but also hurting its participants. Serving as a platform for communication, social media is the binding thread of connection for many. However, such connections have the power and potential to be highly corrupt and spread malice.
“I don’t mind social media as a way to connect with people,” Sophomore Naima Nisha said. “But I’m gonna be honest–it’s the root cause for all of my insecurities.”
This sentiment is felt globally. Millions of avid users of social media suffer from growing insecurities and overall loathe themselves, whether it be the way they look or their seemingly uninteresting lifestyle. But nearly everything online is edited meticulously to achieve the appearance of perfection.
“Before I got social media, I was fine with the way I looked and dressed,” Nisha said. “But as I got more into it, it ruined the way I viewed myself as a person.”
Highly popularized social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok pressure their users to share their lives. As they begin to streamline images of lavish commodities and confined examples of beauty, social media begins to uphold a certain standard. Ultimately the idea that if you do not fit into a perfect and polished standard, you are not good enough, is enforced. Social media essentially succeeds in polluting peoples’ (mostly teenagers) minds and has them believe that a body type that doesn’t adhere to what’s “acceptable,” is one that should be shamed. The same extends to luxurious lifestyles. Users are left feeling incomplete and isolated in comparison.
“It gives you an urge to show off,” sophomore Marie Aiku Agodo said about her experience with social media. “When you see people doing better than you, then obviously you’d feel bad because you want to be them. It makes you feel like a loser.”
Moreover, cyberbullying is extremely common in online spaces. In a study conducted by Dr. Justin W. Patchin and Dr. Sameer Hinduja, both co-directors of the Cyberbullying Research Center, percentages in which people have experienced cyberbullying at any point in their life have increased from 18% to 37% from 2007 to 2019.
Social media’s influence is simply toxic and unhealthy. So why do we continue to use it?
“When you watch stuff like TikTok, you get pulled in because there are funny videos. It draws you in, it’s addictive,” Nisha said.
Social media captivates people into a world where they’re met with unattainability. And so, they’re left with detrimental thoughts.
