We live in an age where social media has become one of the most important aspects of our daily lives. Who isn’t on Instagram today? Thus, assuming that you are one of the users, let’s dive into the scroll worthy reality of this application and how it’s actually controlling our day-to-day lives.
Pics or It Didn’t Happen
Imagine you’re on an outing and its beautiful around there. You’re wearing one of your best outfits and its a good hair day! Everything seems to be perfect and dreamy. But oh, you just realised, you forgot your phone (which is sort of impossible, but just for the plot). You basically didn’t go now, because there are no pictures to post. Without realising, we have created a lifestyle where everything is supposed to be posted online or else, we don’t value it as much.
Even though we didn’t take a picture, it still happened, we were there and experienced every mili second of the event. Posting it online to let the world know about it might give us the temporary feeling of getting validated, or that double tap might give us a little dopamine, but the fact is that it happened and the experience will stay with us forever, whether or not a picture was clicked. Now, this brings me to another topic of this article.
The Double Tap is Filled With Dopamine
“Which one should I post?” “Umm, take another one.” “It’s not post-worthy.” “I don’t look good enough in this photo.” “It won’t give me likes.”
Ever heard these sentences from your friends or your self? If yes, then you are also probably stuck in the loop of likes and validation on social media. It seems like an endless one but coming out of it is quite possible.
Whether its flawless selfies or dreamy vacations, Instagram’s culture of perfectionism leads to comparison and increased insecurities in individuals.
But, trust me, you are not falling short. Those unattainable standards of living that we see on the pages of influencers are covered with several layers of filters. Everyone’s lives have different timelines. Its a wave, just ride it through.
Forcefully doing stuff just so you can post and make everyone believe that you have a perfect life, only leads to the feeling of inferiority because you tend to take part in the unavoidable rat race yet again.
The Algorithm Mysteries
Beneath the layers of filters and perfectionism, there lies a world of strategies to keep you engaged with mysterious algorithms and financial tactics to bring changes to our lifestyles.
Ever happened when you are talking about buying something and Instagram will show you innumerable advertisements till you actually buy the product? Its algorithm is cleverly crafted to make us more likely to buy the products by engaging us with personalised content based on our interests. It collects data from users and everything that we like or share on the app, leading us to see the advertisements of the same category. So, we buy that and end up thinking that shopping is a natural part of our social media experience. Hence, its not just limited to entertainment. Now, this brings me to the next point.
The Fine Line
If you are coming home after a long day and watching something that makes you happy, then it’s healthy entertainment. But, if you come back tired and open social media and you get stuck in the loop of comparison, inferiority complex, thoughts of lacking something, FOMO and dissatisfaction, it’s anything but entertainment. Either we control our social media handles and use them wisely, or they control us. At the end of the day, the choice is ours. There is a fine line between entertainment and negative emotions which come from the experience of social media, and it’s essential for us to understand where the border of the line exists and when not to cross it.
conclusion
Well, I am not someone who is against social media. I am, in fact, very active on it. But, this was just my attempt to make you understand that anything beyond the limit is harmful.
Scroll through memes, post that perfect breakfast, and your phenomenal selfies, but don’t get lost in this digital platform of perfectionism. Be mindful of what content you are consuming and more importantly, how it makes you feel.
YOU ARE IN CONTROL OF YOUR FEED, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.