Likes me, likes me not: the unbearable pressure of social media

Earlier this year, social media star Essena O’Neill, who had over 500,000 loyal followers on Instagram, has quit all social media in attempt to draw public attention to the emerging problem of online pressure. In her interview, the famous Australian model pointed out that her account was based on “dream life” that never really existed, and the constant urge to post perfect pictures in exchange for likes “consumed” her, and it would be much wiser to “go out and meet people to feel connected instead”.

Think it has nothing to do with you? Scrolling through the feeds, posting daily selfies enhanced in Perfect365 and secretly checking notifications during university lectures or office meetings in hopes there are some hard earned likes under the recent picture…many (if not all) of us have been there and done that. It seems like in the judgmental world of instant feedback and validation via “thumbs up” and little love hearts, nothing under absolute perfection is ever considered.

Consequently, it’s not very likely to see a picture of someone crying in the bathroom after a stressful day at work, or watching soap operas with a pint of ice cream on their lap. We also don’t often see loan applications being declined, dirty stoves, or any other routine occurrences. Instead, we scroll through photos of newly purchased luxury items, parties, outfits, holidays and kissing couples — all day every day. Unfortunately, this is not very representative of real life, which is not all unicorns and fairy dust, and those of us who grew up outside the era of iPhones can detect where the illusion starts pretty easily.

The situation is very different in millennials — turns out browsing social media is one of the most common activities of today’s children and teenagers [1]. Whether it’s checking friends’ Facebook accounts or engaging in interactive online gaming environments such as The Sims, the Internet has a lot to offer…unfortunately, not all Web networks are appropriate and safe for these age groups.

It’s hard to ignore how much pressure social media puts on adolescents. All of a sudden, they absolutely have to look perfect, be on top of fashion trends, have cool kids liking their posts and aim for insane follower goals on Instagram. Cyberbullying is also on the rise, and teenagers often fall victims to it, when their peers upload embarrassing photos online, share hurtful posts or create fake profiles, ruining someone’s reputation. This kind of bullying is very hard to escape or brush off, given how prevalent technology is.

The consequences of such trends are beyond devastating. For instance, a large proportion of suicides, the second leading cause of death in 15–19 year-olds, is linked to the consequences of Internet use, with those being online over 5 hours daily being at highest risk [2]. Speaking of less extreme cases, due to prevalence of “fat shaming” on social media, many young women develop mental health issues, left completely dissatisfied with their bodies [3].

If the situation remains the same, we are risking to raise a stressed, self-consumed, deeply depressed generation, chronically suffering from unrealistic expectations and overlooking what life really has to offer. Perhaps, it is about time we embrace it ourselves and get the message across to our children: life is not a fairy tale, and bad things are an essential part of it. Perfect is not the goal. Happy, healthy and honest — that’s the only way to be.

Liz for Orangry

References

1. O’Keeffe, G.S. and K. Clarke-Pearson, The impact of social media on children, adolescents, and families. Pediatrics, 2011. 127(4): p. 800–804.

2. Suicide and Suicide Attempts in Adolescents. Pediatrics, 2000. 105(i4): p. 871.

3. Stice, E., J. Maxfield, and T. Wells, Adverse effects of social pressure to be thin on young women: An experimental investigation of the effects of “fat talk”. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 2003. 34(1): p. 108–117.