Social Media: Stranger Danger

Social media poses more damage to your emotional and mental wellbeing than one could ever imagine. It is so important to acknowledge and understand that the society we are living in looks at social media as more of an alternate universe. Everything is picture perfect ‐ Or at least it only appears to be.

How is social media harmful, particularly to the younger generation?
Let us take a stroll down memory lane for a bit.

When I was in my teenage years, I would always remember looking up to some of the older girls in school. Their social media profiles (pretty sure it was mostly MySpace and Facebook back then) were literally the definition of perfect. They had gorgeous hair, flawless skin and stunning outfits and they somehow always seemed to have these fun and extravagant plans on the weekend. Then I would remember seeing them in person in the hallways of school, thinking why they just looked different. There was this really distinct change in aura between what I saw online versus offline but I could never put my finger on it.

So I did what any other young girl would do ‐ Try to look like them and live like them.

This mindset is extremely detrimental on the mental wellbeing of our youths. Without adult supervision, they could stray further away from reality as their mind is filled with unhealthy assumptions of what it is to have the perfect life. Little do they know that social media is simply an illusion, intentionally taking away the flaws and imperfections to create a fantasy that makes others feel inferior and insecure.



What can you do to prevent this?
For businesses and brands, we use social media as an outlet of creativity. In fact, it is actually a really valuable tool for branding and bridging the gap between generations. We have the power to control what we put out to the public and ultimately ‐ What we want the public to see. With that in mind, we should take the opportunity to find ways to help others be their authentic selves. Start internally by interacting with your audience and be brave enough to share your reality with others. Do not feel the need to use a lens to filter out the good from the bad but rather, take it as a stepping stone to inspire, motivate and educate yourself as well as your audience.

A really important quote we should all learn to live by is ‐
Be inspired by the success of others,
Be humbled by your very own achievements,
And be excited about the growth in your future.