Audrey Sum / Edge Columnist
Everyone is guilty of scrolling endlessly on social media platforms where a quick five minute check can turn into an hour of viewing your follower’s posts, while you are wishing that you could experience those events.
Many students are connected on social networking sites to people we don’t know that well, such as celebrities or influencers as it’s easy to look at their updates. This is known as the highlight reel, which is a term used to describe where everyone shares their best moments that they want people to see. Rarely do people share content that shows their bad days or challenges we have, as given the nature of social media is public, it doesn’t require posting matters that show our fears, insecurities, and regrets. Putting our best face forward makes sense more than anywhere else on social media.
But in reality, most social media profiles are just a snippet of someone’s reality. Countless moments both good and bad are missing from it, because it’s not possible to share one’s life from all angles at all times. A constant source of content being posted almost every single day can cause a loop of unhealthy comparison. It can make us feel worse about our lives and create a toxic habit of comparing ourselves to friends and strangers. Moreover, seeing people who are living our goals and dreams, and often finding people who are on similar paths as us who appear to be more successful can make us feel that all our efforts are wasted. Simply, the fact that comparing our lives to a small portion they showcase is easy and readily available to us.
The harmless content on social media can affect the way you feel, especially from the daily usage and consumption. Our brain is wired to the psychological processes such as Dopamine, a chemical that is released causes us to feel good when we achieve something. The likes, hearts, and comments are made to give easy wins without much effort, but it can start to make people crave more of the reward.
To minimize the negative mood that comparison can offer, it’s okay to take a break off social media for however long you want. According to Tristan Harris, a former Google product manager said, “the main goal for companies is to produce technology that is developed to keep our attention indefinitely.” He makes a comparison between the design techniques of apps and gambling, as social media encourages users to obtain rewards by checking their notifications that are similar to gamblers who continually pull the lever of a slot machine.
No one is going to criticize you for not replying to messages or not seeing their latest update of their life episodes. So, use that time to focus on things that make you happy or activities that you have put off to the side.
Many of us are far too preoccupied with tracking other people’s highlight reels. Instead of feeling bad about our own achievements and progress, it’s possible we can learn to focus on ourselves and prioritize our mental health first. It’s easy to get caught up in the moment, but just remember that social media is just a small piece of our life.
Sources
Why social media is just a highlight reel
Social Networking is a life’s highlight reel, not the whole story