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Are We Using Social Media Wrong?
The other day, I was really frustrated with my Facebook friends because I noticed my only posts that were getting likes were the videos of cute and funny animals. So, I posted a status update asking why Facebook has become so shallow and why people would rather watch videos of cute animals than talk about ideas or anything productive. It became a long discussion on social media usage, in particular Facebook.
Some people merely liked the post, so I am only left to assume they agree. Others commented on the ignorance of people on the Internet, the fact that Facebook isn't meant for deep conversation, that it's a facade but that's just the way it is, and that social media is all about narcissism. One person's comments sparked a discussion. That person said that Facebook was never deep and that productive conversation happens on forums and message boards, with Facebook being reserved for sharing and socializing. Another person agreed and brought up the point that when people do share their opinions on Facebook, they are met with aggressive responses. This causes people to avoid ideological conversations on Facebook. Forums, which focus on the idea and not the person, are much better for these types of discussions.
The original commenter then stated that Facebook is as deep as its users want it to be, so if it is a shallow popularity contest, that's because people are using it to promote perfect versions of themselves. The second commenter said that, neurologically, we receive a reward in the form of validation every time we get a like on one of our posts, and that can become addictive. That's why people try to post the best parts of their lives on Facebook.
After reading their comments, I realized that what they were saying made sense. As we talked about in class, each social media platform has its own purpose that marketers need to be aware of in order to use them properly. Facebook simply isn't the type of platform for meaningful conversation. Also, people are not two-dimensional. We each have multiple aspects of ourselves that we show in different situations, and Facebook is just a place for us to unwind and show a less serious side of ourselves. The part that worries me, though, is the extent to which people will go to get lots of likes (including starving themselves for the perfect picture or doing reckless things to look cool). It's affecting not only their self-esteem but the self-esteem of those who see these posts and believe them.
According to an article on Bustle, the "perfect" lives we see people living on social media, the curating of our online information, and the battle for likes have negative impacts on our self-esteems by making us feel like our lives don't match up to other people's or that we need to hide things about ourselves and make ourselves look just as perfect. This can lead to depression and anxiety issues.
While I think it makes sense that each social media platform has its own purpose and should be used for that purpose, I don't think it's okay to go overboard and lose oneself in the process of becoming popular. This is something companies need to pay attention to, as well, when they are posting advertisements and other posts on Facebook and other social media sites.