By: Jolie Femia
Every day, I find myself stuck on social media. A quick browse turns into a dark hole of perfect influencers, and their alluring lives. Only after do I remind myself that the viral world is curated, and ultimately not real life. A healthcare organization, Florida House conducted a random survey of men and women finding that 50% of women and 37% of men compare themselves “unfavorably” to people they see on social media. This type of survey demonstrates the toll this content exposure has on self-image. I am measuring myself against people I have never met, admiring photoshop images and comparing my life to unrealistic standards! In 2022, an EarthWeb survey showed the average internet user spends 2 hours and 30 minutes daily on social media, which I am sure we have all seen on our screen time reports once or twice. It is a harsh reality that Instagram, TikTok, Facebook…etc., can begin to dictate our relationship with our bodies, overall self-image, and even our food choices.
I think about our parents and grandparents time, before anyone was able to keep track of hundreds of other people's lives, and honestly, I am jealous. I am caught between deleting all of my social media accounts or curating my own socials to meet the status quo. Neither extreme is the right answer. The truth is the internet is a fake world, made by us. No one looks like their Instagram pictures at the grocery store. No one’s house is THAT perfect and clean 24/7. No one eats clean every single day. Who realistically goes on that many vacations....So here's what we should be reminding ourselves!
Be present every day! When you admire the fall scenery or the beautiful sunsets in Amherst, instead of pulling your phone out right away to show everyone on the gram, stop, take a deep breath and enjoy the view for a few seconds first!
Recognize when you are comparing your life to another online persona, remind yourself, it isn’t real life, and beautiful pictures are only beautiful pictures. Look around…how many models are at Trader Joes;)
Set a goal for yourself to limit social media screen time! If you are like me and you fall into the dark hole of endless scrolling, you know that it can go on forever. Distract yourself with music, a book, a new series on Netflix, or even good old socializing.
Unfollow! I know it may seem silly, but your algorithm is watching. Prevent yourself from seeing posts that trigger negative thoughts. It is a great first step to cleansing your socials.
So next time your scrolling becomes endless, remember you aren’t alone. We are all human! We should all try your best to value our real world, more than our online world!
Here are some resources:
How to Deal with Negativity in Social Media - Make Me Better
How to deal with the negative effects of social media - Headspace
Is Social Media Hurting Your Mental Health? | Bailey Parnell | TEDxRyersonU - Bing video
Sources:
Wise, Jason. “How Many People Use Social Media in 2022? (Daily & Worldwide Stats).” EarthWeb, 24 Sept. 2022, https://earthweb.com/how-many-people-use-social-media/.
“Link between Social Media & Body Image.” King University Online, 9 Oct. 2019, https://online.king.edu/news/social-media-and-body-image/#:~:text=The%20survey%20included%201%2C000%20men%20and%20women%20and,and%2037%25%20of%20men%20compare%20their%20bodies%20unfavorably.
“The Impact of Social Media on Body Image, Eating, and Health.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 8 Feb. 2022, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/experimentations/202202/the-impact-social-media-body-image-eating-and-health.