Blog Post #4 – Research Round 2

Hello and welcome back to my blog. My inquiry question is, How has technology impacted how we view ourselves and others? Last blog post, I answered the sub-question, What are the effects of technology on human interaction? And today I will be wrting about, Why does technology and social media impact the way we view ourselves?

After understanding the main effects of technology on humans, it is time to dig deeper and find details about specific impacts technology has on ourseles. Social media is a bunch of websites or applications which allows you to communicate, interact with other, share content and learn about new things. (1) But social media and it’s impacts that have developed over time have sparked the attention of many teachers, parents, politicians and others. (2) The main concern is that social media and technology have taken up too much of our time and this can have a huge psychological impact on our mental health which overall impacts how we view ourselves. (2) Teens are the most negatively impacted age group due to our exposure to social media from a young age and the amount of time spent on it. (3)

The main impacts of social media that impact self esteem over time are:

1. Distraction. Social media is a distraction from the real world and can prevent us from completing what’s important and what needs to be done. (3) Not getting things done can lead to dissatisfaction in performance (whatever the senario may be) and can over time, make you feel unproductive and impact how you think of yourself due to this. (4) But there is a second reason as to why social media is a distraction. It’s because when people are staying “social” online and making themselves available there, they disconnect from the real world and are less present there. (4) That isolation from others can lead to you overthinking and create insecurity and lead to low self-esteem.
2. Exposure to bullying. Whether you believe it or not, people of all ages can experience bullying in multiple different settings. But the easy access and no physical presence that comes from using social media, as discussed in my previous blog post, can promote cyberbullying. (5) Victims of cyberbullying can become self-conscious and insecure due to the negativity being said/done towards them. This is especially true when such harassments are aimed at their physical appearances and looks. (5)
3. Unrealistic view of other people lives. This is the biggest factor and reason why social media impacts the way we view ourselves. This is because when we spend lot’s of time on social media, we start to see unrealistic espectations of others (ex. influencers) and their lives are no where close to an average life where we can’t malipulate things, unlike these social media stars. (6) Even if you know that images you’re viewing on social media are manipulated, they can still make you feel insecure about how you look or what’s going on in your own life. (6) People also tend to share only th positive aspects of their lives and refrain from sharing the lows. This can make people feel emotionally alone and not want to open up about the lows of their lives, further impacting the way they view themselves. (6)

To add on to the third point, there is lot’s of editing that goes into images and videos on social media, in other words, many influencers promote unrealistic body standards, which can contribute to body dissatisfaction and eating disorders among their followers. (6) They also promote materialism and consumerism, encouraging their followers to buy products that they don’t necessarily need or can’t afford. Seeing all this happen on a daily basis can really take a toll on how we view ourselves in a negative light.

Although social media can be great for lots of things, it’s better to always use it in moderation and remind yourself that not everything you see is 100% credible and that everyone else has flaws in their lives too. Now alothough this may be hard, there are many things you can do to help with acheiving a positive view of yourself without being heavily impacted by others, such as:

1. Trying to get enough sleep. now alothough this may seem like a simple, straightforward step that may not lead to vey much change, it can and it will lead to a change since with the appropriate amount of sleep you can gain motivation throughout the day to do something other than looking at your phone. (7) Sleep deprivation (not gettin g enough sleep) is also linked to feelings of anger, frustration and sadness, feelings that make it rather difficult to boost self-confidence.
2. Practice mindfulness and meditation. (7) A daily meditation practice can help us change our relationship with the thoughts and feelings that mess with our self-esteem.Meditation can boost self-compassion, awareness, resilience, and other qualities that help improve self-esteem. (9)
3. Try spending time outside and with others. (7) By doing this, you will feel less negative emotions that cam lead to self-consciousness. this also improves your physical health which as mentioned last semester improves your mental health too. (9) When you spend time with others and outdoors, you become more aware of your impact on the people, animals, and nature around you and of their effects on your well-being. This heightened sense of self-awareness often results in reduced stress and increased self-esteem. (10)

In conclusion, while social media can have positive effects on self-esteem by promoting self-expression and connection, it also poses challenges that can lead to negative impacts. Recognizing the potential cons and developing a balanced use of social media usage is crucial in maintaining healthy self-esteem in this generation. Ultimately, the responsibility lies with both individuals and society to foster a positive and supportive online environment that encourages authenticity, empathy, and inclusivity.

In my next blog post, I will talk about what social media influencer can do to both, promote self-esteem and positively impact how we view ourselves. This next blog post will be a deeper dive into what we have discovered today and this information will help with further understanding what is to come. Thank you for reading my blog post. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoy writing it!

Sources:

1.Lutkevich, Ben, and Ivy Wigmore. “What Is Social Media?” WhatIs.Com, 3 Sept. 2021, www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/social-media.

2.“Social Media’s Growing Impact on Our Lives.” American Psychological Association, www.apa.org/members/content/social-media-research. Accessed 15 May 2023.

3.“How to Help Your Teen Navigate Social Media.” Mayo Clinic, 26 Feb. 2022, www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/tween-and-teen-health/in-depth/teens-and-social-media-use/art-20474437#:~:text=However%2C%20social%20media%20use%20can,much%20social%20media%20teens%20use.

4.OB;, Koessmeier C;Büttner. “Why Are We Distracted by Social Media? Distraction Situations and Strategies, Reasons for Distraction, and Individual Differences.” Frontiers in Psychology, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34925123/. Accessed 15 May 2023.

5.Dudley, Amanda. “Effects of Cyberbullying on an Individual.” Cyberwise, 26 Oct. 2020, www.cyberwise.org/post/effects-of-cyberbullying-on-an-individual#:~:text=Cyberbullying%20affects%20the%20self%2Desteem,their%20physical%20appearances%20and%20looks.

6.“How Can I Improve My Self-Esteem?” Mind, www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/self-esteem/tips-to-improve-your-self-esteem/. Accessed 15 May 2023.

7.Anthony. “How Sleep Impacts Your Confidence.” Inner West Orthodontics, www.innerwestorthodontics.com.au/blog/how-sleep-impacts-your-confidence#:~:text=It%20found%20that%20those%20who,difficult%20to%20boost%20self%2Dconfidence. Accessed 15 May 2023.

8.“Meditation for Self-Esteem.” Headspace, www.headspace.com/meditation/self-esteem#:~:text=Meditation%20can%20boost%20self%2Dcompassion,mess%20with%20our%20self%2Desteem. Accessed 15 May 2023.

9.“How Nature Benefits Mental Health.” Mind, www.mind.org.uk/information-support/tips-for-everyday-living/nature-and-mental-health/how-nature-benefits-mental-health/. Accessed 15 May 2023.

10.Thirdside. “How Spending Time Outside Can Benefit Your Mental Health.” Keri Powell Therapy, 29 May 2020, kptherapy.com/spending-time-outside-benefit-mental-health/#:~:text=When%20compared%20to%20exercising%20indoors,stress%20and%20increased%20self%2Desteem.