I am as bad as anyone else in my generation. I was brought up with technology improving around me and was quickly sucked into social media.
I am quite a creative person and I love social media. I love looking at other peoples pictures whether it be makeup, tattoos, clothing or wildlife. My blog, that you’re currently reading, is also social media, with me publishing it on my Facebook etc. Without social media I wouldn't of had the chance or place to put this out there for other people to read.
But then there is the other side of social media... the dark side. The side that is overcome with false truths and hopes. Where faces and bodies are edited and scenarios set up for more exposure. It’s leads people into believing and expecting things that, realistically, aren’t do able.
You will quite often see people portrayed on social media with every photo looking immaculate - makeup, hair, clothes and body - perfect, lots of holidays and time at the gym (no one has that much time). I find myself wondering if they actually have a job.
You can tell yourself until you are blue in the face that seeing these people on social media doesn’t affect you, but the truth is it affects the majority of us. Whether it causes jealousy or builds up to something more serious - for me, it affects my anxiety. I do question why I look like I do when everyone I see elsewhere looks a certain way. I can’t afford expensive and designer clothes, getting my hair done, personal trainers or plastic surgery so how can I still expect myself to resemble these ideologies. You will find that the majority of these images we see are edited with apps such as 'Photoshop' and 'FaceTune' being some of the ways you can turn yourself from a human with pore, lumps and bumps into a doll.
It is an ongoing conversation in the media about the portrayal of others, especially celebrities, and their effects on those around them. With children and young adults viewing these images. With celebrities like the Kardashian's and Jenner's posting flawless images multiple times a day it is hard to ignore the pressure.
Low self-esteem and self-image can be detrimental to your health and well-being. If you feel bad about yourself/how you look, you find that your mood is down and your anxiety heightened. To put this into perspective the Royal Society of Public Health carried out a survey on young women about their appearance and how happy they are with it.
Unsurprisingly, 9 out of 10 young females are unhappy with their physical appearance.
With statistics like this it isn't a shock that a lot of people are turning to plastic surgery, fillers and other procedures to try and improve their appearance. But is there a fix?
Does fixing one of the problems make you happy? or, does it just lead you to believe you can fix everything, suddenly obsessing over your appearance and changing everything?
With social media now regarded, in some senses, more addictive that alcohol and cigarettes once you're hooked it is hard to shake off the feelings that it leaves you with. It is a constant battle between people for likes, with the presumption that 'the more likes, the prettier you are'. With some young girls experiencing thousands of likes on their photos no wonder they are pressured into keep up appearances and posting regularly.
Don't get me wrong, some days I look at social media and feel positive, looking at aesthetically pleasing images and them not affecting my mind, and others, I scroll... constantly... looking at other peoples images fueled with jealousy and anxiety, struggling to understand how they are sitting in joggers and a jumper with their hair up and still managing to look like a model.
I have found that sometimes it is useful to take a break from social media, there has been a few occasions where I have deleted the apps off my phone and not looked at anything for a week or so, a little social media detox.
Do you feel like your social media has a positive of negative affect on how you see yourself?
Do you judge your life based on what you see others achieving?
Here is a reminder...
The reason we are struggling with insecurities is because we are comparing our behind the scenes with everyone else's highlight reel.
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