Social Media fuels low self esteem
Low self esteem has to be one of the worst emotional issues human beings suffer from. It affects every part of your live and is very hard to cure once it’s taken root.
So well done for the University of Salford for running a poll on this awkward subject, albeit just 300 respondents. I’ve always felt that constantly comparing yourself to others out of context can be damaging. In a world dominated by celebrity culture (is culture the right word?) the pressure to be popular is very real indeed.
Social media and texting allows us to see what our friends, real or otherwise, are doing 24×7. No matter how much you try and avoid doing so it’s very difficult not to make comparisons between your “friends” and yourself, and if others’ lives look better than yours then this leads to obvious questions.
In reality, like most things in life, what you see and the reality are very different, but it takes considerable confidence to carve your own path, particularly when you are young.
You could get a circle of loser friends that will always make you look good, but who wants to hang out with losers? My Father always said “we are judged by the company we keep”, wise words indeed.
Why not take a break and just chill out. Switch off your smart phone, tablet or computer, and become mysterious and difficult to reach. Make others wonder what you’re actually doing that causes you to be out of touch. Then don’t talk about it… You’ll be amazed at the results.
Full report and video on Mashable here https://mashable.com/2012/07/08/social-media-anxiety-study/