The Face Behind The Mask: Social Media's Ugly Truth

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Millions of people across the globe have social media in some form. Whether it is social media apps such as Facebook, SnapChat, Instagram or Twitter many caves under the pressure of fitting in. Though in previous years, when social media was fairly new it was an excitement to discover the gems of it can offer with connectability. Myspace was one of the earliest inventions of people connecting online and becoming “friends.” Now that social media has become more accessible some of the effects can be detrimental. As Social media evolved over the past few decades, it is easy to hide behind a facade. "Loneliness was mentioned by 41% of the respondents as the reason for their Catfishing." (Vanman,
buffalo state college
PhysOrg.com) The pressure of fighting in the standards of being seen as “cool” and “popular” can cause an overwhelming feeling of anxiety and sadness. Not having many friends growing up during childhood can also contribute to the want of creating a false identity. Humans want to feel included and not ostracized. Social media has caused the effect of exclusion with stats. These stats include the amount of followers, views and likes one has. The negative impact of social media is the constant need of validation. If this is not accredited it begins to take a mental toll on the individual. The standards for social media are quite often quite unrealistic. The standard of beauty is accumulated in biased opinions. The person does not feel comfortable with exposing what they look like because they don’t deem it as acceptable. One might believe if they do not fit into the niche of social media culture they are less than others they see. To avoid embarrassment they create an image they believe many others will think as likeable. Another issue is the comfortability with viewpoints and personal preferences. Some are weary with putting a face online because of the want to explore sexual desires. The ultimate fear of being judged for being homosexual and wanting to keep it secret. Social media is also a way people can disconnect from reality and escape to an online persona. It can be used as an outlet of expression which can have a positive effect it is not always the same for one's self esteem. As time passes Social media presence will be even more of a requirement. In this new age, people fear being left out. This digital society has contributed to the disconnect people tend to have with interactions face to face. They will feel like social media is the only avenue they can choose to express themselves freely. This will cause negative effects on mental health, causing issues later on down the line. Both men and women will feel the need to portray an image that is the complete opposite of what they are to make meaning with social media standards. Ultimately, this will cause a constant battle between the digital and the real world. Therefore, making it easier for people to illude behind a mask.

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