The social media is part of our lives where we find ourselves going through media channels on an average of more than 2 hours daily. The media has created this need for people to post pictures of a perfect life and this can create powerful negative emotions like sadness, jealousy, loneliness, stress, anxiety, embarrassment.
An example of this could be looking at a couple’s profile who are posting these perfect pictures with endless love quotes together and whish their relationship is the same. This can cause unnecessary tension, jealousy between the couple. Take your relationship in its own context without comparing it to others and remember that the drama, the arguments, the anxiety is usual kept hidden.
Moreover, one may think of how many times they found themselves salivating in front of the screen thinking this must be the most delicious meal! Then when one would actually eat what they have seen on the picture it doesn’t taste as good as it looked. In fact researchers say that looking at photos of food online can increase satiation, causing one to enjoy the food less when you actually eat it and brings a sense of delusion.
Few tips : Don’t get caught in the impression that others are more successful, more attractive, have more friends, and lead a much happier life. Live your life and don’t get too competitive. Don’t feel the need to get gratifications or a sense of neglect from social media channels but rather be more present in the moment.
Therisa is a psychology graduate who worked in the HR sector for the past 4 years. She decided to change her career path and thus at present is an intern at Willingness and will continue to focus on psychology practices.