The Darker Side of Social Media

We live in a generation where social media has become an imperative part of someone’s identity. Your profile receives more attention and scrutiny than the person you are in real life. This indeed is a deplorable sight to me. Several platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, are embedded into the lives of four billion individuals. While I do agree with all the benefits which could be yielded out of such sites, for example, easier communication with friends and keeping up with the rest of the world, the matter which concerns me is that most people are not maintaining equilibrium when using such media.

Not being a responsible social media user can have several implications on regular life. For example, it is a common, but a rather distressful sight among many high school goers to be self-confessed ‘bingers’ of various social media services, which means they are succumbing to excessive indulgence of such platforms. In fact, this has escalated to the level where this is being seen as a trend, making it even more appealing to younger individuals. The most catastrophic of all the repercussions is the effect this has on their education. Students are often seen stuck to their device screens instead of investing the same time studying. This distraction prevents their brains from being fully functional, which eventually reflects from their poor grades.

Additionally, social networking sites are known to have damaging effects on mental health. Numerous social media ‘influencers’ endorse impractical depiction of various aspects of the society which is truly appalling. One such widespread example is the normalizing of unrealistic beauty standards. The use of beauty filters, for instance, has gained extensive criticism due to its ability to edit someone’s facial features to match social standards - i.e. large eyes and clear skin. This is unfeasible and unrealistic. As a result, many often fail to accept themselves and suffer from insecurities. This may lead to mental illnesses such as anorexia nervosa, depression or social anxiety. Hundreds of people are dissolving into a dark space regularly, and there is no one to take responsibility for that.

It is high time to make a move as many judge themselves based on the number of followers and likes they get on their social media handles. Self-love and self-appreciation seem to be on the verge of extinction. For instance, if this generation practices selfcare more often, it will be easier for them to admire themselves for who they really are. Be it skincare, maintaining a healthy diet, or even working out, they can induce the production of happy hormones within the body through performing such activities. Social networking sites can be immensely favorable, but only to those who responsibly use it. Let’s make ‘being social’ a more pleasant and comfortable experience rather than an insecure one.

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ABOUT THE WRITER

Safa Karim is a grade twelve student from Bangladesh.

NERAK on Instagram: @nerakwrite