The sole purpose of social networking platforms like Facebook, Orkut or Myspace was to connect people. The purpose was to provide a platform to share or communicate with our loved ones. Today social networking services are far more widespread in terms of reach and purpose. According to a recent survey, more than 73 percent of the United States population use social networking services on a daily basis. With such a massive reach, it is by far the fastest mode of communication. Due to its ever-increasing reach and usage, it has slowly evolved from social networking services to social media platforms, which are now mostly used as a source for news or for marketing.
Though social media if used properly has its own advantages, it is a major reason for the cause of depression and insecurity among individuals. It has become an obligation for people to be active on such platforms just to maintain a social identity. Using social media platforms extensively as the only source of information or communication leads to such insecurities, especially if one is over conscious about one’s social identity.
These insecurities usually arise because of spending an immense amount of time observing others activities and updates on social media. It creates a sense of competition to improve our social identity and a false sense of accomplishment by doing it. Such insecurities are harmful as they affect the self-esteem of an individual. It is extremely important for us to maintain a balanced state of mind to be successful in life. Any individual can complete any given task most efficiently when they are stable, or are in a balanced state of mind, and such insecurities can affect their daily lives as well.
These insecurities push individuals to do things outside their comfort zone, which affects their mental state. This can be harmful as it hurts their self-esteem, making them doubt their own capabilities. Severe cases of insecurities can also lead to depression and other mental problems. People with such insecurities focus more on pleasing others rather than focusing on making themselves happy. In the process of maintaining their social identity, people often tend to lose their true identity.
Due to such insecurities, people develop an urge to know what others really think of them. They can go to any extent for such information. The immense popularity gained by an app called Sarahah clearly indicates this notion. The app allows users to send anonymous emails to a person, containing their thoughts on what they think about that particular individual. This app surprisingly became the most popular app on the app store in a very short period of time, indicating the myriad number of people who got hooked to the app.
Human beings have a natural tendency to be wanted, praised and appreciated. Who doesn’t want to hear some good things about themselves? But sometimes it doesn’t really matter! What really matters is what you think of yourself. Others opinion about you is not always accurate because no one knows you better than yourself.
Do not let insecurities ruin something as amazing as you. Do not be over conscious of what others are thinking about you, because in the end, all that matters is you, and what you think you are capable of.
