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7 Telltale Signs Social Media Is Killing Your Self-Esteem
In this technological age, social media has become a primary gateway
to connect with friends and the world around us as part of our daily
ritual. Yet what often begins as a harmless virtual habit for some can
fast-track into a damaging, narcissism-fueled addiction which impacts
negatively upon our self-worth and the way we perceive others.
Studies show that up to two-thirds of people find it hard to relax or sleep after spending time on social networks. Of 298 users, 50 percent said
social media made their lives and their self-esteem worse. So just what
exactly is it about social media that allows it to affect our
self-worth?
According to psychotherapist Sherrie Campbell,
social media can give us a false sense of belonging and connecting that
is not built on real-life exchanges. This makes it increasingly easy to
lose oneself to cyberspace connections and give them more weight than
they deserve.
“When we look to social media, we end up comparing
ourselves to what we see which can lower our self-esteem. On social
media, everyone’s life looks perfect but you’re only seeing a snapshot
of reality. We can be whoever we want to be in social media and if we
take what we see literally then it’s possible that we can feel we are
falling short in life,” Campbell told AlterNet.
How do you tell if
your social network habit is healthy or harmful? If you find yourself
feeling stressed, anxious or having negative thoughts after using social
media, it may be time for a break. Here are seven telltale signs social
media could be negatively impacting your self-esteem…and what you can
do about it.
1. Social media disrupts your real-world thoughts and interactions.
If
you feel worried or uncomfortable when you’re unable to access social
media or your emails, it is likely your social media dependency is
compromising your self-esteem. Additionally, if you’re thinking about
social media first thing in the morning and just before you go to bed,
or you find yourself simultaneously juggling face-to-face encounters
with your social media habit like facebooking or tweeting, there’s a
good chance social media is disrupting your life in a negative way and
may in fact be impinging on your real-life relationships. Time to hit
the breaks and take back control of your life.
2. Social media affects your mood.
If
this voyeuristic habit is affecting your thoughts and feelings about
yourself, it is likely harmful to your self-esteem. A new study released
last week found a prominent link between eating disorders and social
media. Women who spent longer periods of time on Facebook had a higher
incidence of “appearance-focused behavior” (such as anorexia) and were
more anxious and body conscience overall. What’s more, 20 minutes on
social media was enough to contribute to a user’s weight and shape
concerns. It follows that the emptier one’s personal life, the more one
will be attracted to the virtual world, with bored or lonely people
spending more time on social media than those who are busy or active.
3. Real-life interactions are difficult and being alone is uncomfortable.
If you’re struggling with face-to-face connections or find it difficult to communicate, social media may be to blame. Studies have shown social media is a pathway to shallow relationships and emotionally detached communication. An Australian study found
that Facebook users experienced significantly high levels of “family
loneliness.” Campbell explains, “Social media is a very lazy way to be
in relationship with somebody and impacts on the inability to be alone.
We have a generation of kids growing up not knowing how to just sit in
their own space because there is constant social noise. Kids are losing
the idea of what it means to wait for information—they get it right now.
They don’t know that idea of alone time or patience. Technology allows
us to have connections when we want it without having to wait, but we’re
never going to be able to snuggle up with the computer at night. Human
touch remains a fundamental physiological need,” she said.
4. You find yourself envious about what others are promoting.
When
we are depressed or down or just feel bad in general, it is easy to
become jealous or envious of what other people are advertising about
their life, particularly images of alleged happiness or success. This
may make us feel inadequate simply because we don’t have what they have
or because our self-worth is low. It is important to remember that what
you are viewing is only a small sliver of someone’s life, which for the
most part, is heavily embellished and mostly rooted in fantasy. When
such images are starting to poison the way you look at your own life it
may be time to step away from the screen.
5. You relish in others’ misfortune.
If
you find yourself happy when other people are unhappy on social media,
it may be time to ask yourself whether social media is a healthy
psychological choice for you. You may merely be validating your own
misery and unhappiness by comparing yourself to others. But even those
advertising their tragedies on social media are doing so because they
crave attention, whether positive or negative, in a bid to boost their
low self-esteem. Christopher Carpenter, author of a study titled
“Narcissism on Facebook,” explains:
“If Facebook is to be a place where people go to repair their damaged
ego and seek social support, it is vitally important to discover the
potentially negative communication one might find on Facebook and the
kinds of people likely to engage in them. Ideally, people will engage in
pro-social Facebooking rather than anti-social me-booking.” If this is
you, it’s time to invest in a social media diet.
6. You measure your success by others.
Reality
check: the number of contacts or likes a person may receive on social
media doesn’t equate with life success. Sure, social media allows us to
assume everyone else is feeling and living a better life than we are but
what are we really seeing here? It isn’t a person’s whole life, not
even a reflection of reality, but merely a glimpse of the life they
choose to present through rose-colored lenses. Campbell explains: “When
someone has a lot going on and everything they post seems perfect, we
think they are lucky but social media is merely a way to project your
story onto somebody else—whether you’re projecting from high self-esteem
or low esteem, you’re making up a story.” Campbell says it’s more
productive to make real-world changes that will help you feel more
successful and secure in your life than to spend time building your
social media online persona.
7. You’re addicted to the attention and drama.
It’s
easy to get sucked into the drama and juicy gossip encapsulated by
social media especially when your own real life is lacking any sort of
excitement or fulfillment. But this can be a dangerous game to play and
often people get hurt. Studies have shown that Facebook contributes to jealousy in relationships and excessive use can in fact damage relationships by
virtue of the fact that information a person would not normally share
becomes public knowledge. This leads some to desperate measures like
becoming amateur private investigators as
they embark on a digging expedition to locate incriminating material.
Case in point: your fiancé has just been tagged in a picture with a
mysterious, half-naked woman. Uh oh! Expend your energy on more worthwhile real-life pursuits which are likely to benefit, rather than impair, your self-esteem.
Need a Solution?
For
those who think their self-esteem is being influenced negatively by
social media, Campbell says the most important thing to do is reconnect
with your presence and your personal brand—that means unhooking from
computer land.
“I encourage people to turn off social media and
eliminate it from your life. Get back into your real life. If you can’t
do that, then start monitoring your usage, particularly just before bed
or remove or block specific people that make you feel negative about
yourself. Self-awareness is such an important step. If you realize why
you’re turning to technology in times when connection or learning new
information isn’t critical, you’ve made the first step to reconnecting
with yourself. Spring-clean and get back to the real world,” she says.
Author / Source: Jodie Gummow for Alternet