Social Media: Can Social Media Stop Someone From Developing Self-Acceptance?

There are many reasons why someone would use social media, and one reason they can use it is to change how they feel. This could be something that takes place through uploading an image or it could occur through sharing a status.

Instant Response

It may only be a matter of seconds before they hear back from their ‘friends’ and through hearing back, their emotional state is likely to change. Along with this, their thoughts are also likely to alter.

One way of looking at this would be to say that social media is like a button that one can press in order change how they feel. If they have a small device, like a Smartphone, for instance, this button is never going to be too far away from them.

The Priority

Their main priority could be to hear back from as many people as they can, and this can then mean that it won’t matter who they are. Therefore, it might not matter whether or not they know the people who respond.

In this case, they could be people they are close to in the real world, as well as the people they have only met a few times. Along with this, they could also be people that they have never met before.

A Momentary Shift

However, once they have shared something on social media, they may find that they soon end up feeling like they did before. As a result of this, it might not be long before they are end up sharing something else.

If this is something that takes place on a regular basis, it could cause some on of their ‘friends’ to see them as attention seekers. Yet this can depend on a number of different factors.

Age

For example, if one is under a certain age and they have been brought up with social media, a lot of their ‘friends’ could also be in the same position. Thus, they might not notice what is taking place and this is because they could be doing the same thing.

In their eyes, sharing things on a consistent basis could be seen as a normal part of using social media. For their generation, social media is not just something to use form time to time; it is a vital part of their existence.

A Different Experience

If, on the other hand, they are able to share something and they are able to maintain thteir new emotional state, it could be a while before they feel the need to share anything else. There is also the chance that the reason they are able to maintain it is because they continue to receive responses from others.

But as it is so easy for them to share things on social media, it might not matter whether they are able to maintain how they feel. This is something that can take place through them staying where they are and they will only need to touch a screen.

The Reason

There can be a number of reasons as to why one would be in a position where they don’t feel good. On one hand, this could be because of something that has just happened, and on the other hand, it could be a way of life.

If it relates to the former, it could mean that they only share things from time to time; whereas if it relates to the latter, it could mean that they share things on a regular basis. In the first example, one could end up being emotionally dependent on social media for a short period of time, and in the second example, they could always be emotionally dependent on it.

A Breakup

One may have just experienced a breakup and this could mean that they are in a lot of pain. So through sharing a few pictures, for instance, it might be possible for them to keep their true feelings at bay.
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Yet through processing how they feel or finding someone else to take the pain away, they might no longer feel the need to share as much. If they were to find someone else, it might not be long until they stop sharing as much.

Self-Acceptance

Alternatively, one could find it hard to accent themselves and it is then going to be a challenge for them to feel good about themselves. Through sharing things on social media, it is then going to be possible for them to change how they feel.

However, if they were to take the time to develop self-acceptance, they might no longer need to share as much. They will accept themselves and this will mean that they won’t need positive feedback from their ‘friends’ on social media in order to feel good about themselves.

The Easy Option

It could be said that it will be a lot easier for them to take the first option than it would be for them to take the second option. When one shares something, they can end up feeling better more or less straight away.

Yet if they were to take the time to develop self-acceptance, they might end up feeling worse before they feel better. For instance, when one doesn’t accept themselves, it can be a sign that they are carrying toxic shame and if they were to face how they feel, it is unlikely to be very pleasant.

A Process

But as long as they stay with this process, they will gradually begin to feel better about themselves. This is not to say this is the only way to achieve this, as there are a number of ways this can take place.

Conclusion

If one finds that they always use social media as a way to feel better and they want to change this, it might be necessary for them to reach out for support. This can be a time where they will be looking into what they believe, as well as processing trapped emotions.

This is something that can take place with the assistance of a therapist and/or a support group. They can also provide one with the positive regard that they need in order to see themselves differently.