How do we know what “real life” is anymore? The effects of social media on those scrolling through photos/videos on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter are much more complicated and negative than pure jealousy. Social media creates a clouded vision of the world as we know it, resulting in people repeatedly attempting to reach unmeetable expectations. Sarah Hunsinger, a writer for the MSU Denver RED, says that “psychologists are becoming increasingly concerned about the way social-media feeds present a ‘highlight reel’ of Instagrammable moments and filtered photos that invite comparisons and make scrollers feel worse about themselves.” While I do believe that the true intention of social media is bringing friends together, connecting the world, and giving users an opportunity to keep in touch with those in their lives, I do believe that I have occasionally fallen victim to what Hunsinger described in her article entitled “Is Social Media Bad for Your Mental Health?”
Personally, I believe the effects have only worsened since the pandemic started. The idea of what “real life” is or what it should feel like has altered dramatically outside of social media. Generally, mental health has declined, people want what they can no longer get, and social media users are more likely to form parasocial relationships with accounts that post their lives online. This is where it can begin to become dangerous for social media users. According to MSU Denver Psychology Professor Randi Smith, Ph.D., “Human brains are natural comparison machines, and social media can exaggerate the social comparisons we make, leaving us feeling ‘less than.’ Because people tend to post images and events that are curated to show them in the best light or on their best days, scrolling through social media can leave an individual thinking that everyone else is more glamorous, has better vacations, is more satisfied in their relationships, etc.” As a musician who has recently started creating an online brand and posting songs, photos, and videos on social media platforms, I resonate with Smith’s statement. I struggle with comparing myself to others who are either further along in their careers, more well-off, shoot music videos in luxurious locations, or brag about the amount of money they’ve made from one show. It’s unhealthy, and at times, I’ve lost sight of the goal, which is to be true to myself, share the music I love making, and create meaningful connections with fans and artists. Many of the artists I’ve been comparing myself to do exactly what Smith mentioned: exaggerate their lives to seem more successful and interesting.
As it turns out, social media, a tool originally used to maintain connection to the world around us, in fact, can leave us feeling more disconnected from the real world. We’ve abandoned the idea of meeting people in person, trying something new on a random whim, creating dreams without a TikTok account’s influence, and loving yourself for how you look, act, and choose to enjoy life. Though I do believe that social media can be an extremely useful tool for connecting, interacting, marketing, and sharing, more awareness needs to be created about the mental health issues that may come along with using these platforms.
Resources
https://red.msudenver.edu/2022/is-social-media-bad-for-your-health-.html
U Penn Social Book 
Extremely well done and put together, weaving current articles with an on-going social media concern as well as including themes from the first several classes–the presentation of self, neuro-plasticity, the social life of genes and environmental influences on our genome, and the Jonathon Haidt and Nicholas Lemann articles on The Coddling of the American Mind and Transaction Man. We are constantly calibrating ourselves in the presence of others and our social network and your blog post personalizes that as well as point out how others feel those tensions similarly. Great post.