A desire for validation
Many people, especially those from younger generations, admit to feeling anxiety when using social-networking sites, often worrying about how others perceive them online.
For example, someone may post a picture, express an opinion, reveal personal news on social media sites, and then wait on tenterhooks to see if others approve. Receiving lots of ‘likes’ and comments results in a swell of dopamine levels and elation. A person often associates this with social acceptance, an increased sense of self-worth, and confidence. This often reinforces the person to post repeatedly to recreate the original feeling.
On the other hand, if a person’s post received little to no ‘likes’, extreme feelings of panic and disappointment could set it, resulting in the person’s mood drastically diminishing. This may give way to feeling socially unaccepted and cause a drop in their self-confidence. They may begin to post or share even more by means of continually striving for social validation. This is especially concerning given that 43% of teenagers have felt ‘bad’ about themselves if they don’t receive enough ‘likes’.
If ‘likes’ are what make us addicted to social media platforms, then it’s necessary to look at the impetus or the driving force behind them.
Obsession with unattainable beauty standards
Another driving force behind social media addiction could be rooted in an obsession with achieving unattainable beauty standards. Recently, the University of London conducted a study that shows 90% of women have used a ‘filter’ when sharing pictures of themselves (selfies) on social media.
Such filters can drastically alter a person’s appearance by re-shaping their facial features, adjusting their skin tone, or making them appear thinner. Suppose social media users are attracting more dopamine-inducing ‘likes’ from these edited images. In that case, they subconsciously perpetuate the idea of unachievable beauty standards, thus causing a great deal of stress to those viewing their pictures.
Psychologist Jessica January Behr sums up the damaging consequences of this: “When we compare ourselves to the idealised version of others, like those in edited photos, it creates a devaluation of the self.” She goes on to say that these feelings can give way to harmful health consequences like self-criticism, body or facial dysmorphia, or chronic emotional abuse of the self. Furthermore, the pressure to obtain unrealistic beauty standards can escalate into serious health problems such as eating disorders and self-harm.
