Social media is drawing you away from your own reality. This is how.
The majority of the content on social media by individuals is about showing off. Some of it is about putting forward their opinions. The least is about who they truly are.
The majority of the content on social media by individuals is about showing off. Some of it is about putting forward their opinions. The least is about who they truly are.
As a viewer or as an author of such content, you are far away from reality if you aren't aware of the functioning of social media.
What is reality?
Before we dive into how social media draws us away from reality, it is crucial to understand the meaning of reality.
In simple words, reality is perceiving something without any filter. The filter could either be your perspective or inadequate knowledge.
Reality is way more straightforward than you think. Let me give you an example. Imagine you have a cup kept in front of you & have a couple of friends sitting beside you. If you ask your friends what's kept in front of you, you might hear them say "A designer cup," "A round cup," etc. When they apply labels to the cup, they look at it from their perspective.
However, the reality is that it is just a cup. If you can learn to look at the world this way, most of your problems will vanish.
How does social media draw us away from reality?
We all use social media extensively, and the problem does not lie there. The problem lies in how we use social media & how aware we are of that use.
Social media is built on the concept of showing your best to the world. If you look back, you will realize that majority of your content on social media was to showcase your best times, & the majority of the content you viewed also followed the same principle.
The entire problem starts when either of the two things happens:
You post content that will receive positive engagement compared to what you genuinely are/ believe in. The outcome is, you showcase yourself to be someone that you are not.
You start believing that one's content on social media is a clear reflection of their life. The outcome is, you compare your worst with their best.
In both cases, unknowingly, you are being dragged far away from your reality.
How to get closer to reality?
The solution is not to abandon social media but to become aware of social media usage.
If you feel that your social media usage is drawing you away from reality, realize:
You post content that will receive positive engagement because you fear judgment. The truth is, people are too busy to judge you. Take a step forward, & put forward content that you genuinely believe in.
People will show their best. Understand that their life is as balanced as yours, with good & bad moments.
What you see on social media might not necessarily be true.
Realizing the above three pointers will enable you to be your true self & closer to your reality.
Thanks for reading till the end. I hope you got your answers. If you did, please share with your friends to help more people…
If you didn't, comment below or express your feelings on the RealTalk app & connect with peers that understand you to find the support you need for FREE.
Interested in reading similar articles? Drop your email below to receive them directly to your inbox…