Social media is arguably one of the worst inventions that has entered modern society. It can make you feel like you’re constantly missing out on something. Whether that be falling behind on the ever-changing clothing trends, extravagant vacations, it always feels like you’re one step behind.
The chokehold that social media has on all age demographics is sickening. It seems like younger generations are predisposed to social media before they are even born. Young children are becoming “iPad kids” before our eyes and teenage girls are developing body dysmorphia at insane rates.
According to Rush and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, more than 1 million cosmetic procedures have been completed on those aged from 13 to 29, likely caused by the unrealistic standards that social media has imposed on younger generations.
These issues may be a result of influencers and celebrities posting content that presents themselves as a person completely different from who they really are. It always seems like someone’s social media appearance hardly aligns with who they are in real life, which is incredibly flawed because their lack of authenticity is what caused all of these problems in the first place.
While many influencers are at fault for these issues, it is also the fault of the standard user. Many of those that develop self esteem issues or insecurity in their own life have found it difficult to disassociate real life from social media. Oftentimes users forget that people tend to post only the highlights of their lifestyle and they assume that they live lavishly every moment of every day, when in actuality, that’s hardly the case.
Those whose social media’s appearance portrays a completely different persona than their authentic self away from the camera are those that this particular verse is directed towards. Those that embellish their lifestyle for the sake of fame on social media are those that are affecting extensive audiences as a result, like a ripple effect.
The Kardashian family is a prime example of this. They constantly photoshop themselves to appear to have an “ideal” body, which creates an unattainable beauty standard. This is not to mention the extensive cosmetic procedures they’ve endured, but hardly ever disclose.
Don’t get me wrong, I do occasionally enjoy episodes of their new reality show, but it’s hard to support them when they’re so oblivious to how their actions could affect the self esteem of millions of young people.
It’s disappointing that our society has become so materialistic, and sadly there’s not much we can do to stop the influence that social media has on our younger generations. But parents can attempt to delay their children from having social media accounts as long as they can and be diligent about teaching their children online etiquette while constantly reminding them that most of what they see on social media is hardly as it seems in real life.