Social media is the place to build your network, business, and even express your passion which is why apps such as Instagram or Tik Tok are beneficial. The cool thing about social media is that you get to share a part of your life with people and connect with others on a deeper level. For example, you can see and listen to other’s stories and can relate or empathize. Posting stories allow you to see what they are up to or what food places to explore. However, there is one downside to all of this. Although social media allows people to see what celebrities and influencers post, it can be crucial for your mental health and self-esteem. If you are one to idolize or put a celebrity on a pedestal, it is not healthy in the long run.
Stop Comparing Your Looks To Celebrities
I know so many women who compare themselves to these fitness or beauty Instagram influencers, and sometimes men compare their girlfriends to them too. Whether it’s not having a big butt like them, flawless skin, perfect makeup, etc., it can bring down self-esteem for other young women who are dealing with their own insecurities themselves. What people don’t realize is that these influencers have their own insecurities as well and do not look like their pictures because it is edited. There is no need to compare yourself to these celebrities because they don’t even look like their own pictures in real life. Everyone has their flaws and when it comes to posting a picture on social media, they want to look as perfect as they can.
FOMO
FOMO stands for “fear of missing out” and many people experience this on social media. According to Harvard Medical School McLean, “If everyone else is using social media sites, and if someone doesn’t join in, there’s concern that they’ll miss jokes, connections, or invitations. Missing experiences can create anxiety and depression.” For example, my best friend constantly tells me how she feels depressed and lonely when she sees people posting about their night on social media because she is at home doing nothing. The thing is that it’s never healthy to feel like you are missing out because people are always going to be doing something because it is their own lives, not yours.
Find Your Own Originality
Many people like to copy celebrities’ lingo and fashion which is nice to keep up with trends, but don’t lose yourself in trying to fit in society. The main goal of social media is to express yourself in a way where it shows how you are different from others. Who cares what people think, there’s no need to copy someone else’s style.
These celebrities aren’t as perfect as you think.
I never idolized celebrities because, at the end of the day, they are all humans who have feelings and insecurities. Sure they might have more money than everyone else, but they are not perfect. For example, everyone thought that the YouTuber David Dobrik is an angel who gives away free Tesla’s and is the nicest person in the world when really, he is being exposed for mistreating his friends for free content and sexual assault. Overall, no one is perfect and should not be idolized because no one really knows how genuine a celebrity is. It can all be an act.