mariek25-blog

[mariek25-blog]

Growing up, the need to feel popular amongst certain groups in school is common for many young adults before the social media era. But the pressure created today as a result of social media is an entirely different beast in itself. I can imagine that social media adds unnecessary stress to teens that once did not exist in my school aged days. With that being said, maybe it should be addressed in school to help young adults deal with the issues accordingly. The issues surrounding social media have become so problematic that a preventive approach should be taken in school systems as with most issues they address especially with the growing number of teens that possess and use cell phones in school. The concerns with being liked or accepted among young adults leads to deeper issues surrounding emotional health that should be addressed to raise awareness and provide a basis for guidance and how to seek help.

[mariek25-blog]

[mariek25-blog]

With all the research and supporting information available surrounding self esteem and the affects that the media has on young adults, you would think that more would be done to promote positivity for all body types. While self esteem should come from within, outside factors tend to have an impact on peoples confidence through social media. The ideal body portrayed in the media continues to make young adults especially, feel like they are not good enough or that they need to look a certain way to fit in. While its important to be taught at a early age that its OK to be different and its OK to stand out, its also important to raise awareness surrounding social media and self esteem so that young adults can know that they are not alone and can get the help they deserve.

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With social media being linked to depression, anxiety and other mental issues I think its important to know when to stop using it. If it is an addiction, it can cause further damage to someone experiencing issues with their emotional well-being, and can eventually lead to these issues for people who are addicted to social media but have not yet experienced mental issues surrounding it.

This article suggests limiting activity and monitoring your usage can help to have a better understanding of how much time you spend on social media. While quitting or fasting from social media can be helpful for kicking the habit, people tend to have a hard time doing so out of fear of missing out. Of course it may not be easy but its a proactive way to prevent issues surrounding depression, anxiety and even self esteem. With the growing health concerns and pressure surrounding social media, having self control over your social media usage can easily be recognized as an accomplishment in my book.

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While the number of teens targeted by cyberbullying is alarming enough for any parent to want to strip their teenaged children from social media altogether, this article suggests that studies show that allowing teens to access social media is a CRUCIAL part of recovery from depression and anxiety. The idea that the very thing that causes depression and anxiety can aid in recovery is beyond my own understanding. Interestingly enough, teens don't always show obvious signs of depression or anxiety and can appear perfectly happy. I think this is where parent communication and relationship is very crucial in order to provide a basis of comfortability for teens to express their true feelings to their parents or an adult figure

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This article outlines oversharing and drawing the lines on the content you share. I think its very important not to self disclose your every move on social media. In fact, I believe the more you put your self and your personal business out on social media for the world to see, you are welcoming unwanted negativity, judgment and other issues. While it is indeed important not to worry about what other people think of you and your life, I think its just as important to understand how much of that is in your control by posting carefully. We are free to use social media to express ourselves but its better to do so in a positive manner or not at all. I have witnessed people regret saying things on social media in heated moments but once it's out there on the web you can't take it back, and of course deleting posts doesn't erase who has already seen it. This is indeed a matter of self awareness and self control.

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The stronger your self awareness and self esteem is, the less likely you are to let outside factors affect how you feel about yourself. Focus more on who you are and less of what everyone else is doing

[mariek25-blog]

Social media should never influence how you feel about your image. Love yourself because you are unique and special. There is no such thing as a perfect image or body. If you ever find yourself comparing yourself to someone else, promise yourself to never do it again. You are more than a like or a follow on social media, you have greater purpose!

Be kind to yourself 💕

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Positivity is powerful. This blogger took the time to write a reminder of our purpose here on Tumbr and not to focus on the attention that your content receives but the joy you receive from doing something that you enjoy and sharing your thoughts and ideas. There are right and wrong ways to use social media but understanding just how powerful messages are is motivation to contribute to the positivity. You never know who is watching and who you can positively influence by being yourself and using the platform in a respectful influential manner. The rule of thumb is to do what you love but never seek validation or look to others for their approval because not everyone will agree with you and that is OK. Be happy and humble!

Just a reminder that your popularity on tumblr does not define your worth. You are a part of a fandom even if you don’t get as much as notes as other artists or your memes don’t spread as widely as that of other bloggers. You are appreciated. It doesn’t matter if you are too shy to actively participate and just silently reblog other people’s posts. Don’t feel intimidated by big accounts, they are humans just like you and they have their flaws as well. If a popular blogger threats you bad or kinkshames you they might get backed up by their followers but that doesn’t make their actions right. They aren’t perfect beings just because a large crowd is following them and your opinion is as valid as theirs. So don’t be afraid to stand up for your opinion and just be yourself. You are allowed to enjoy yourself and do what makes you happy. If you are happy just being on tumblr that is fine, you don’t need to be popular. Don’t delete your posts just because they didn’t reach a certain amough of notes. Even if only your close friends follow you that is already fine. You don’t need ghost followers. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. You are doing fine and as long as you are having fun your blog is important ♡

[mariek25-blog]

This article speaks on how excessive social media users have become obsessed with quantity over quality in terms of followers, likes, retweets, etc,. Additionally, people have become so attached that they fear that a break from social media will mean they are going to miss out on something. According to the University of Chicago, social media is harder to abstain from than a cocktail. The fact of the matter is that people feel the need to be connected to others and their lives so much so that they can't enjoy their own lives or find purpose outside of social media. All of the things that we could be doing with our free time such as reading, writing, spending quality time with family, finding hobbies that make you happy, seem to all fall by the wayside. Our minds need versatility and to be fed in positive ways and I don't believe that social media can fill that void.

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It doesn't surprise me that social media has created pressure for young adults to undergo cosmetic procedures. Ordinary people see photos and videos of rich and famous people that have likely had several procedures done and they feel  the need to be perfect, too. Social media allows people to constantly compare their imperfections and creates temptation to go out have procedures done in order to have a perfect image for more likes, follows and compliments. While there was a point in time where plastic surgery and other procedures were looked down upon or kept a secret, public figures have become more open to disclosing their procedures and have created a fad or green light so to speak, on cosmetic surgery. Of course to the young adults that look up to them, this becomes one of many influences to risk their lives in search of perfection.

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Young adults allow themselves to become so engulfed in the ideal body image that is portrayed on social media, that they put their mental and physical health at risk in order to become something or someone that they are not. From eating disorders to life threatening binges and diets, young adults are putting themselves in danger for all the wrong reasons. While there are right ways to achieve results pertaining to body image, it should always be done for the right reasons, not because you want to look like someone else, or be accepted, but because you want to be a better you and healthier you, FOR YOU. It seems that our generation has become obsessed with immediate results and don't want to put the time and energy into healthy lifestyle changes. People fail to realize that the people or peers they idolize often have dedicated their lives to achieving the body image results they have accomplished, and while it may very well be obtainable, the only way is through dedication, self love, and understanding that you will never be them, your results will be related to your own body composition. You must learn to love yourself and the skin you are in or you will never be satisfied.

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This blogger broke down the meaning of internet trolling. The saying "misery loves company" is very applicable here. The idea that unhappy individuals, target other people to bully and/or make them feel horrible about themselves or something they may have said or done on social media is extremely sad to say the least. These individuals hide behind computer screens and say things that they would likely not say to people out in public. Often times, I have experienced that trolls even hide their identities behind fake accounts or private accounts with no photos in order to feel more secure about their acts of bullying. This shows how much they feed on their anonymity in order to freely say things to people on social media that they otherwise would not have the courage to say with their identity known. Trolls play a huge part in making people feel less secure and free to be their selves without scrutiny.

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This article associates the frequency of social media usage to the likelihood that young adults will become depressed. An administered questionnaire given reflected a large amount of participants had high indicators of depression. While participants may not have otherwise known this, I think its important to be in tune with your feelings and pay attention to how the things you see and do on social media affects your mood, perspectives and how it makes you feel about yourself and others.

 Lack of self awareness can impact your ability to understand what drives your emotions. While some people may be in denial about the emotions created by social media usage, some may be too addicted to social media platforms to consider giving it a break to see if there is a difference in their stress or depression levels. It is unfortunate that people allow perceptions of the way their peers live their lives dictate how they feel about their own lives. Social Media platforms creates grounds for envy, comparison and inadequacy in the mind of people who are not secure or unhappy with their reality. 

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This article speaks of the higher levels of stress that woman have associated with social media than men do. A (PSS) or Perceived Stress Scale was used to measure how people felt about their lives by answering a sequence of 10 questions. The idea that people's awareness of stressful events in other peoples lives has impacts on their own stress levels is an interesting analysis as people typically don't associate their own stress levels with other peoples issues. Additionally, its interesting that this observation is directly linked to the type of social media platform that one uses the most for example, facebook allows for more detail of peoples lives than instagram since people only post pictures and videos versus status updates that facebook offers. Its amazing how much a platforms capabilities has a impact on the stress levels of individuals just as much as usage does.

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It doesn’t surprise me at all that Twitter and facebook are bad for your self esteem. However, it seems that there was a time where social media was just simply an outlet, and not a lifestyle competition. A lot of people don't know how to deal with the pressure that comes from feeling the need to live up to a certain standard. I think that if and when people start to feel this way, social media is no longer an outlet and more of an issue that needs to be addressed by either less use, or seeking out other ways to be social under less pressure. However, I do believe that the lack of knowledge and awareness on this subject has a lot to do with how people deal with feeling depressed. The more awareness that is shined on the subject will make people understand that they are not alone and what they are dealing with is indeed, very real.

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There are many articles that will explain the affects that social media has out your mental well being and self esteem but not many will suggest ways to deal with the affects or how to channel your emotions when you find yourself feeling emotionally down and unhappy. This article outlines 7 suggested ways to protect yourself online when your self esteem is feeling low.

 While many of these may or may not be affective, I feel that people should not always try to handle hardships alone, especially where their health is concerned in instances that make them feel emotionally unstable. With that said, option #7 "Talk to someone" seems to be the best course of action when you have hit a road block and feel that you have done all you can and nothing else is working. The ability to control your emotions and sensitivity to what you see on social media can be hard to deal with alone and I believe that if people remember that it is okay to seek help and understand that the mental issues that stem from social media are very real, they would be more inclined to do so.