Gen Z, the new digital era, however is social media truly ruining the self-esteem of a whole generation? Pull a chair, let's chat.
Social media has always been exciting to me, it's given us so many things over the years, some we may not even be able to remember. Like, imagine getting through the day without coming across one silly reel or TikTok of an animal doing something impossible but funny or the countless amount of hashtags you read without even noticing. #Same. Although, social media to me is like Marmite, you love it or hate it and this could change on a day to day basis. Don't get me wrong, it's not just one of them doing all the dirty work or getting all the praise. A recent stat I found said that us Gen-Zer's spend around 10.6 hours a day scrolling and engaging on social media, basically the WHOLE day attached to devices. I'm not here to be a Karen and go on and on about us being glued on our phones, because that's not true. But, I think it's crazy how you can almost spend a whole day on social media without even realising. Media-Blindness shall be my new coined word.
The thing is, if social media is causing this blindness to our high-key-low-key-organised lives, it does scare me how much content is going into my head uninvited. For example, I used to scroll through Instagram, looking at Vogue, Victoria Secret models, influencers with their gorgeous clothes, Love Islanders in their bikinis with their amazingly slim bodies. Although at the time I was just admiring their looks and style, I don't think I realised that the image and my own image of perfection were merging in my brain, scheming to represent what I am see as better than what I would perceive myself as. Stupid, I know, but uncontrollable. Some say there is nothing wrong with Social Media, that if you don't like something or find it harmful, simply 'unfollow it', 'mute it', 'unsubscribe from it', 'report it'. Sure, I'll do that! Yet, it acts in the same way as a permanent marker, once it is written it can't be erased.
So, what could we do? Change the narrative. Most of the time, as cringy as it may sound, you are your worst nightmare and the biggest enemy. Who cares if that one girl on TikTok always has perfect hair, or that one person on Instagram is out living your dream life? Do not let someone else filtered life make you feel less ANYTHING. Sadly, what you see on social media generally is always the 'best bits', the parts of the day which they want to share because who would want to post if they are having a down-day or not feeling their best-selves?!
The next time you are scrolling through Social Media and see those types of posts and videos, stop, look in the mirror and #Scroll.
(Own Images)
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