Social media vs Real Life 

“Social media is bad for you” is an annoyingly common statement you probably hear frequently. Social media isn’t bad, but the over-usage of social media is. The strong importance and relevance social media holds over you is unhealthy and leads to a feeling of emptiness and inadequacy of life experiences. 

The line between social media and real life has become thinner and thinner, with many of us perceiving the images we all  see on social media as what real life is. We all tend to measure ourselves and our lives with what’s staged on social media. Perfect faces, perfect bodies, perfect relationships and lives, insecurities creep in and begin to eat at us. We idolize these inaccurate standards and strive to meet them, constantly feeling like we aren’t doing enough, like we aren’t enough. 

Influencers kicked off the habit of recording every moment and event in life, where the ones in front of the camera were previously celebrities, we have unconsciously chained ourselves to this rhythm of posing and posting. And with 7-8 hours spent ,on average, on social media everyday, it has become an exceedingly unhealthy habit, leading to low self esteem, cyberbullying, isolation, depression, eating disorders and more, with over 60% of social media users stating that it has affected their self esteem and mental health negatively. 

Something I’ve noticed many do is focus on establishing their online persona rather than living in the moment. As ironic as it may seem, social media has proven to shrink one’s social skills, opening the doors to anxiety and depression. It’s truly sad, as it distances one from their surroundings and continues on to detach us from the reality we live in. By centering your attention on building a following, you tend to lose touch with growing and strengthening relationships outside of your screen. 

Social media has demonstrated ways in which it reinforces BDD, where you may constantly measure yourself to the unrealistics standards presented to you in the media. Statistics indicate that social media has a major correlation with undergraduates and children who suffer from eating disorders. The “ideal body” is repeatedly portrayed on the screen, creating an unfulfilled feeling in you with your appearance, causing you to nitpick and criticize every inch of yourself. 

Be  Real is an initiative by Chokolaate Magazine that aims to break these norms!

By Kisavi Jayawardene