3 minute read
EFFECTS ON REALITY
from December 2022
by The Eyrie
The mental health crisis in students around the country is not a new conversation. According to the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments, 60% of students have been diagnosed with a mental health disorder by a professional in 2022. With new technologies and apps advancing every day, the social media epidemic has taken over, and it’s proving to only make mental health matters worse.
Some feel that social media puts on a lot of pressure to be perfect: “I see all these people portraying their perfect selves, and my brain convinces me that it’s really real,” freshman Genna Streed says. “Obviously, all of these people are beautiful in their own ways, but they’re not as perfect as how they make themselves seem.” The long lasting effects of ruined self esteem are rooted in social media’s value of perfection. The more time we spend looking at things that aren’t real, the more we tear ourselves down for not being what we see online. Sophomore Caroline Nave agrees: “There are some pros [to social media] for sure, it makes communication easier, but it also makes me feel bad about myself a lot. The amount of times I look at someone’s post, and wish I looked like that is ridiculous,” she says. Apps like Instagram and TikTok create a false sense of reality that can bleed into our everyday lives. Constantly comparing yourself to others, wondering if others are doing something more interesting or important than you–is all you can think about. And once you’re online, you’re hooked. The numbers game that is played online often creates a constant craving for validation that isn’t even there. “Social media is mainly numbers, the likes, follows ect. It feels like a rating or amount of how much you’re liked by others. I think it’s easy to become insecure, or feel like you’re not good enough by the number of likes or followers you have. It often represents a level of popularity or likeness. In high school especially, people like to have a good reputation and be liked by others,” senior Katie Clark says. “Social media is like a rabbit hole. It’s extremely easy to get sucked into a false reality. It’s hard to change your mindset and find your way out.” Hours and hours spent on social media becomes a constant pastime for nearly all teenagers. The neverending flow of new content, flash trends and viral videos keeps users entertained for as long as they need. But even after they are taken away from their online world, it still has lasting effects on reality and mental health.
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Although there is no way to stop the trend of perfectionism and poor self image online, remember to be kind to yourself. Social media takes everyone’s best version of themselves for the world to see, and we can never be sure what is real and what is fake. There’s no Photoshop in real life, so always value what’s right in front of you. Who you surround yourself with in real life is what really matters.
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