By now, the majority of the world’s population has been impacted by social media in one way or another. Whether you yourself are on one or several social media platforms, or you have a friend or loved one who is chronically online, each of us has had social media pervade our lives. Some of this can be great: we keep up with friends and family, discover new and exciting trends in niches we find interesting, and create unique and personal profiles that represent who we are and what we find important…most of the time.
Over the last several years, there has been a trend toward social media being a harmful entity in people’s lives. Social media has become something that has replaced real human face to face interactions, with people exchanging fun outings with friends for hours of doom scrolling. This shift has caused people to live their lives believing that everything others post on social media is reality, thus creating feelings of jealousy, disappointment, and ultimately, feelings of low self-esteem. Because we as humans see perfectly curated profiles, with only the best photos and reels posted for people to like and comment on, there has been an expectation created that our lives should look this way, as well, and when our lives do not meet this expectation, we view it as a failure. We see our own lives, which we once viewed as wonderful and fulfilling, and yearn for something better. Longing for a better life in and of itself is not inherently wrong, but when not achieving what others have achieved creates anxiety, depression, poor body image, low self-esteem and self-worth, and a whole host of other issues, it becomes unhealthy, damaging, and dangerous.
I still fully believe social media can be a wonderful platform to connect with friends, family, and others who may share your interests. However, I believe it is healthy to set boundaries within those spaces in order to protect your mental health. Because, if you’re looking at someone else’s life too much, you end up missing out on your own.
Storrie Denton, LPC-A
Seeking counseling can be incredibly daunting because of the level of vulnerability one has to display. My ultimate goal with each client is to make the counseling setting a place of comfort and safety, so that we can work effectively toward reaching goals and achieving true and lasting healing.
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