If you are tired of seeing everyone else’s seemingly perfect lives while you feel down about your own life when their lives may not be as it seems, it may be a good idea to take a social media break. Don’t let social media apps fool you: it’s easy for someone to post a picture of themselves smiling with friends, while hiding the fact that they were crying while eating a box of chocolate.
Social media apps may lead you to ask yourself questions such as:“Why is her skin so clear and mine isn’t?” “She’s so pretty and popular. Why aren’t I?” “She’s living her best life with all her friends, what am I doing with my life?”Be aware of the kind of thoughts you have when looking at posts on social media apps. More people are reporting that they suffer from low self-esteem due to a belief that their lives aren’t as great as the lives of the people they follow on social media. In reality, we shouldn’t think this way because we have no idea what our followers are going through behind closed doors. There are people who post on social media apps about how great their life is going. There are people who are obsessed with the image they portray they put to others and there are people who are obsessed with what people think about them. Focus on your own peace of mind, values and morals. These are what will dictate just how happy and at peace you feel inside. If you’re feeling down because you don’t look a certain way, talk a certain way, have fancy clothes, or don’t have a certain quality of life, remember that we are all created beautifully. No person is better than the other and it’s important for young girls to realize that. Social media apps has given us the perception that everybody is living their best life, when that’s not necessarily reality.
If you start to feel insecure, jealous, and envious of others, keep in mind that others may be going through hard times that they don’t share on social media apps. Although comparison is the biggest thief of joy, it’s natural to compare yourself to those around you, especially with the competitive nature of our society, but remember to be the best version of yourself then watch how you flourish externally and internally.
Social media apps affect young girls’ self- esteem. Young girls tend to compare themselves to their followers who have more likes, comments, followers, or different skin and body types. On Instagram, young girls look up to the “IG Baddie” and feel so pressured to be like them and look like them. In reality, most of the time, these Instagram influencers’ pictures are often edited to create a picture-perfect aesthetic. Editing apps are becoming more and more advanced as it creates a false reality for young girls who feel the need to edit their pictures to be accepted and feel pretty in society. If you feel this applies to you, take a break from social media for a while.
You will realize how much time you have in a day without constantly scrolling pictures. You won’t have to confront yourself with fake ideals. Furthermore, you will start to see the world with new eyes and appreciate things you couldn’t see before. Above all, a social media break will allow you to minimize that need to share everything, every moment on social media.
Take those feelings of low self-value and do something to fill it. Ask yourself: What makes you feel empowered? What makes you feel happy with yourself? What makes you feel worthy?
Suppressed feelings can become overwhelming, so it’s important for you to be open and honest with somebody you trust or even express yourself in a journal. Sometimes verbalizing or even visualizing the things that we’re feeling can help us process why we’re feeling that way and how we can stop feeling that way.
To read more about how you can resist the pressure of validation from social media apps, visit the source information at the HealthCorps website.
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