Discussion Anyone else feel like social media really fucked you and your self esteem up?

[reesespiecesaregood]

I'm the generation that grew up on the rise of social media. Everyone went to myspace, facebook, then instagram, twitter, etc, during my most formative years. And we never looked back. But damn that shit can be toxic.

I deleted my main forms of social media the other day. Like completely deleted. I have 30 days to get them back if I want to before they disappear forever, but idk about it. I know it's superficial, but I felt like with out them I wasn't a fully functional young adult. But now, I just feel freer. Less clouded. I never noticed how much time I wasted on those things that really hurt my self esteem in detrimental ways. It helped me keep up with friends, sure, but it also shouldn't be the only way I can do that. That time on sm could've been used for better things, like almost anything else lol. But it's a damn addiction of our modern age. Hopefully I keep this willpower to stay off.

Ironically, I'm considering getting back into a job search for what I went to college for: digital marketing/social media marketing. But maybe that's the ultimate test? Like if I can be on that shit and only utilize it for monetary reasons, it won't control me so much in my own life.

I definitely know there's positives to social media, like bringing people together who previously wouldn't have been (communities) - kinda like this one! - and the ability to learn about so much more than ever possible. Social media introduced me to weightlifting and fitness/wellness that really helped my depression a couple years ago. So maybe I was just using it wrong for the majority of the time. But it's hard to know what's good for you in the moment, when all you're doing is endlessly scrolling and receiving a ridiculous amount of information constantly. Just absorbing everything you see. Good, funny, bad, toxic. It's all there. So I definitely think it's better to let go of from my personal life for now.

P.s.: I'm a girl, so in my opinion instagram really realllly set that need to be perfect to an all time high. Not that guys don't have that same problem with social media. The constant subconcious comparison to everyone else's lives. But the age of insta-models has made standards, especially for girls, 10x more unreachable. Ugh. Can't people just be average and content? ;p

 

[akrasia]

Yes social media has ruin my self esteem. I know that it is but I continue to use it. I would spend hours a day scrolling and scrolling. Day and night, stalking someone's page, wishing that I look like them, wishing that I have that life. I deleted my most used social media before but I only lasted for 3 days and downloaded it again.
I think the reason why I'm so addicted is that it helps me forget about my horrible life for a while and focus on other people's life. I guess it's a coping mechanism.

 

[pole]

i've deleted most of my socials for a while now. (snapchat, twitter, instagram).

i think yeah, it played a role in lowering my self-esteem and what not.

but i didn't delete it because of what it did to my self-esteem. i deleted it just so i could be alone and so i could just escape from everything and everyone.

 

[faust]

Hello,
In fact, you raised a very difficult and comprehensive topic.
We can argue endlessly on it, but the fact remains the fact - all social networks were created in order to bring people together, but they are used for other purposes and excessively. The creators of social networks almost do not surf them, because there are much more important things if you a prosperous entrepreneur.
My most unloved network is Instagram. And all because on Instagram all the people seem happy, delighted, protected from life's difficulties. I'm looking at them and thinking: where did I actually make the wrong turn... Why can't my life be as happy as theirs'? And this whole demonstration of success, prosperity, wealth negatively affects our minds. After all, it is not our choice to have so much difficulties. And at the same time, they are trying to show us how all the users are happy and that the life is an extremely beautiful thing.
I practically do not check my social networks - yes, in principle, nobody will write to me ... They (SN/Social Networks) were created in order to unite us, but using them we eventually end up with alienation and loneliness.

 

[mouseteeth]

I was already messed up regardless of my own social media use.
I do think it has had a profoundly negative effect on society as a whole, which affects everybody, myself included.

 

[BabyYoda]

Yea, fucked me up a lot for several reasons. Like I've started to desire to become more like the attractive ones for the sake of love.