The pressure to reach a certain social standard is gradually rising amongst young women and one can only wonder when is it going to stop?
With so many to choose from, Facebook, Twitter, SnapChat and Instagram, it’s no surprise that some users may find this overwhelming and end up being who they’re not in real life.
Professor of media psychology at Fielding Graduate University Pamela Rutledge speaks about this about this worrying trend.
Where is the pressure coming from?
Some may say it’s all in the people you follow, however, that might not be the case because some people you don’t follow will always pop up on your explore page. But, with the new mute option coming soon, you might just get away with not seeing others post’s without unfollowing them.
How do you know it’s costing you?
Are you always having FOMO (fear of missing out) when you’re not logged in to an extent that you end up sneaking out your phone during important meetings? In this regard, social media might be costing the career that you’ve always wanted. In reality who is going to take you serious if you’re always scrolling through your phone during serious talks? On the other hand, your peace might also being sacrificed as well because you always feel the need to be logged in and updating your followers with your every move.
How do you gain your power back?
Start by cultivating social media mindfulness— keep a journal for a few days noting when you use social media, why, and how it makes you feel.Only you know what your goals are so, think about social media just as you do other aspects of your life. If it’s hindering your goals, get rid of it and if it supports your goals have control over it, not the other way round.
