How nice would it be to become someone else completely when life isn’t going quite as planned? Thanks to social media and the World Wide Web in our back pockets, we can transform our own personalities into something entirely different any time we want to. Within our grasp, we have the power to edit a photo to be completely different from what it actually is. We have the power to set forth a perception of our own lives in order to manipulate the thoughts others have about us. Not everyone of course exists in this virtual universe, but for many people, there is the difficulty faced when one must exit this alternate reality and face what really lies before them. For when we power down our cell phones, iPads and other devices we must come to terms with whatever we are facing in our real world lives.
The shift between real life and our online existence can be a difficult one to face. Wouldn’t it be grand if the lives people portrayed online really were what were happening on a day-to-day basis? However, many times it is not. Often times, the picture one paints of themselves online leads to an array of issues that can include jealousy, depression, and even marriage problems among others.
Creating an alternate persona is so simple and mainstream today that one can get so lost in keeping up with their virtual life that they cannot depict fantasy from reality. In an article published by Psychology Today, titled How to Keep Social Media From Complicating Your Relationship, Marlynn Wei M.D., J.D writes that ”Online profiles allow for people to manipulate their online appearance, and onlookers tend to believe in the fantasy of this online life. You have only to look at the difference between how recipes look on Pinterest versus real life (link is external) to recognize this perception problem. But it’s a lot harder to apply this logic to the feelings stemming from looking at a partner’s Facebook or Instagram profile” (Psychology Today 2015). Not only can one tend to believe the fantasy they are portraying but problems in relationships can be established when one partner becomes jealous of “likes” clicked by the other partner on pages of the opposite sex. This can create tension that may not have existed before and create wedges between partners that can lead to trust issues and in some cases, infidelity. In the same article, written by Marlynn Wei M.D., J.D., she writes “Small gestures can take on a much bigger meaning—whether intentional or not. Gestures that take less than a second and a single click (e.g., “liking” a photo, accepting a friend request, tweeting an emoticon) can communicate a whole range of meaning whether the person meant it that way or not. Likewise, other people’s reactions (or lack of reaction) can also take on significance (e.g., whether or not people “like” or comment on a post or accept an event invite on Facebook).”(Psychology Today, 2015). However, who would admit to tension in a relationship online? Many people flee to social media to vent about their relationships, which leads to even more problems between couples as this builds tension between them. Venting about relationships through social media can also bring about wrong or one-sided perceptions about the offending or accused partner that could lead to wrongful shaming and embarrassment that one may not be due.
In addition to relationship issues, social media has also been linked to depression and anxiety. In an article published by Psychiatric Times, titled ”Using Many Social Platforms Linked with Depression, Anxiety Risk”, Nick Zagorski writes, ” A study published online in Computers in Human Behavior on December 10, 2016, found that the use of multiple social media platforms is more strongly associated with depression and anxiety among young adults than time spent online.”(Psychiatric Times, 2017). This could be due to the upkeep of the persona one portrays online or perhaps the negative interactions one may encounter. Either way, the constant exposure to other’s lives can breed jealousy and feelings of inferiority, which could lead to depression. In the same article, Zagorski writes “Research has suggested a link between spending extended time on social media and experiencing negative mental health outcomes. New evidence suggests that whether it’s distracted attention from using multiple social media outlets or the emotional consequences of a negative online experience, it’s the quality—not so much the quantity—of social media engagement that may affect mood and well-being.” (Psychiatry Times, 2017).
Social media can be a wonderful way to connect with those one does not interact with daily, or perhaps a way to connect families that are separated by great distances, or even to meet new people. When used appropriately and responsibly, social media is great tool for staying connected with people. However, when overused and or used in replace of real world connections, social media can be detrimental to both the mental health aspects of a person but also their relationships with those closest to them. It is not an issue to be taken likely, but rather one that should be explored further and brought to the attention of the users of social media.
References
Wei, Marlynn M.D., J.D. (January 25, 2015). How to Keep Social Media From Complicating Your Realtionship. Psychology Toda. Retrieved From <https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/urban-survival/201501/how-keep-social-media-complicating-your-relationship>.
Zagorski, Nick. (January 17, 2017). Using Many Social Media Platforms Linked With Depression, Anxiety Risk. Psychiatric News. Retrieved from https://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.pn.2017.1b16.