The presence of social media allows us to form a false sense of friendships and role models.

While online platforms allow us to share and post information faster than ever, a false sense of unrealistic perfection represented by images and texts make everyone tries to be perfect at any cost. To appear to be "perfect," we consciously cover up information that does not represent who we are and only shows off the "brightest side" to the media platform. As a result, it creates a false sense that everyone is perfect and flawless around us. As time passed by, people got used to the notion of ignoring the "imperfect" or "mundane" part of their lives, without realizing that the platform is not an accurate representation of who we are. In addition, the availability of "perfections" on social media also makes certain achievements seem effortless. The notion that people are "perfect" and "having a great time" tells us that we should be in that way as well while ignoring important tasks in life. This notion drives the endless process of online comparison that makes certain groups feeling left out. By a constant comparison between individuals creates anxiety and jealousy that affects mental health. People using media platforms to create a "superior sense" of themselves often find it hard to live up to their goals, since often they are highly unrealistic.

As a result, those users gain “short term satisfaction” while becoming inattentive to problems that are going on in real life. While people may have certain long-term goals in mind, the "short term satisfaction" loop on the media platform impedes people from making small progress along the way to realize their dreams. Thus, it’s crucial to keep in mind that while enjoyment and happiness are part of life, encountering problems and setbacks are part of the process as well. Those who overcome their issues, in the long run, are the ones who succeed.

Academic Source:

FREITAS, DONNA. HAPPINESS EFFECT: How Social Media Is Driving a Generation to Appear Perfect at Any Cost. OXFORD UNIV PRESS US, 2019.

Summary: Since the information on social media is often the brightest side of everyone, it creates the idea for those who browse through those contents a need to strive for perfection at any cost. They often failed to consider the fact that those perfections are superficial and do not represent reality. Nonetheless, everyone tries hard to cover up their issues and appear to be perfect at any cost.

Popular Source:

“Social Media and Adolescents' and Young Adults' Mental Health.” National Center for Health Research, 17 Oct. 2018, www.center4research.org/social-media-affects-mental-health/.

Summary: This article uses statistical data to show both the positive and negative sides of the media platform. It went into a detailed description of how mental health is related to the usage of social media, and what we can do to mediate that effect it has on us. Since most teenagers are using social media, it causes mental health problems that we can't ignore.