I have yet to meet a single person that does not have some type of social media account. Why is it that our hands and eyes are always glued to our phones? Is this what technology has done to us? At least when I was a kid I would go out and play with the neighbors, but who does that now a days? Are we all narcissists? The answer to the last question is no, as a matter of fact, there are thousands of kids from ages 8 to 17 that suffer from insecurities due to these social media outlets.
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 routine. Yet what often begins as a harmless virtual habit for some, it can quickly become a damaging, narcissism-fueled habit which negatively impacts our self-worth and the way we perceive others.
I admit I am a bit of a social media addict. Although I try not to post much, I do spend a lot of time on various social media sites when I'm bored, have “nothing” else to do, or just because. It's usually one of the first things I check on my phone when I wake up every morning or before I go to bed at night.
Our society texts but does not call, tweets but does not listen, posts but does not take action, and FaceTimes but does not care for personal connection. Our obsession with social media is a reflection of the value society places on image and pop culture's preoccupation with vanity.
In today's modern society, people have the tendency to find their self-worth from the positive responses, or lack of responses, that they receive from their social media accounts.
We are allowing social media to control what we do, when we do it, and how we do it due to the fear of rejection from our peers, or even strangers, hiding behind a phone or computer screen. We are constantly comparing ourselves to others and unknowingly causing ourselves to have low self-esteem in the process.
I know both, male and females that can spend hours editing the "perfect" picture, choosing the right filter, editing out all of the "flaws" just so society can accept them.
Our generation needs to understand the concept of self-worth, and that how much you are worth doesn't depend on the amount of "likes" you get on a picture. I understand that not everyone falls in this category, but those who do probably don't even know who they really are.
Always remember who you are, and that you are worth more than a like, double tap or retweet. And never let anyone tell you otherwise.
