The Dark Side Of Social Media

Any young person active on social media (and let’s be honest most of us are) is aware of The Bow Wow Challenge, one of the most recent social media trends. The challenge sprung from rapper and actor Bow Wow after being caught posturing for the “gram,” leading his followers to believe he was about to board a private jet. Instead he was caught on camera hours later on board a commercial flight. Before you knew it, Black Twitter created a challenge where people take pictures showing off a glamorous lifestyle, and then upload another picture revealing that it was all a lie to flex for social media.

As funny as the situation may seem, it sheds light on a greater issue: the social pressures experienced every day because of social media. Social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram have been linked with depression, anxiety and stress.

In an article for the American Psychiatric Association by Nick Zagorski, a national survey is mentioned where 1,787 young adults were asked about their usage of popular social media platforms.  The findings showed that the people who used them the most had more than three times the risk of depression and anxiety than those who used them less. Through social media, users seek validation through likes, which can lead to anxiety when they aren’t receiving the feedback they’d like, or expect, from a post.

Seeing as young people are frequent users of social sites, they run a high risk of being afflicted with this phenomena.

“There was actually a time where I deactivated all of my social media accounts to take a break from all that negative energy it can bring you,” said Edelyn Casilla, a 20-year-old student at Kendall Campus. “I really caught myself stressing over trying to keep up with the lifestyle of certain celebrities, and the minute I realized it, I just knew I needed a detox from it all. It was really for the best.”

The anxiety from this pressure is something marketing companies are tapping into and capitalizing from. Many brands, such as Puma and other giants, have paired up with celebrities to use their social media accounts as a marketing ploy. When Rihanna or Kylie Jenner are wearing a certain article of clothing most people feel the instinct to go out and buy it. It’s honestly a genius strategy, but realistically speaking, the emotional and mental toll it can take on the minds of social media users is being drastically understated.