SOCIAL MEDIA:DOOM OR GLOOM?
I was scrolling through the internet one day when I read a title, “The Perfectionist trap.” That made me want to dig deeper and read the article. Upon reading it, I discovered that it had not quenched my thirst. So I went hunting for similar articles on the internet. I discovered that through social media, people feel pressured to act and think in a certain way. This reminds of a certain documentary on Netflix dubbed the social dilemma. It presents some disadvantages of social media, how it leads to addiction, depression and suicide in society. It also highlights the perks of social media and how a weigh scale on the two causes a dilemma.
Upon speaking to and interacting with a few young guys, it became clearer that most people feel like social media poses pressure on them. One just scrolls on instagram for five minutes and sees flashes of young people, who might be their age mates, seemingly having their life together. Photos and videos of flashy cars and houses, pictures of twenty year olds with their newborns and families are the norm. Some time back, a meme was doing rounds on social media. It insinuated that when one logs into their instagram, they would think that Kenya is one of the richest countries in the world. That all we share on social media are the flowery parts. We leave the dark side of our lives for closed door family meetings and behind the scenes.
I am not here to judge anyone based on what they post. Just here for a conversation. Guy, is this to say that there should be restrictions on what people post on their social media platforms? Is that even possible? I do not think so. In my opinion, people are free to post what makes them happy as long as they do not infringe on the rights of other people.
So, how does one dal with such pressures? One can deal with these pressures in other ways. Please critic what you read both online and offline. Take note of the good stuff. If it is a post with a valuable lesson that you might use later, save it somewhere and refer to it when you need to. As for the negative stuff, stuff that does not add value to you, simply ignore it or throw it in the trash can. Avoid the temptation to compare your life with what others are posting. Always remember, we all have different journeys. Some planes take off earlier than others. If you have not yet gotten where you aim to be, put in some work. Better yourself and strive to move towards success. Remember, we all have different ideas of success in life. Success in this case is identifying our goals and working towards them. We should embrace our different journeys and embark on them in our different paces to reach our desired destinations. Remember, in life, anything can be a rose or a thorn depending on whichever lens (attitude) you decide to put on. If you view it positively, and are appreciative of it, you are more likely to reap positive outcomes and vice versa. However, it is important to maintain a positive attitude towards life. Let us know how you view your social media platforms with on the comment section below.
Have a great weekend,
Adios,
Till next time.
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