Why The Online World Is Taking Us Away From Our Real Self?
The growth of man is often measured in terms of technological development. Although reflecting on our daily habits, it will not be wrong to say that our personalities have taken a step back. The term “social” was coined to represent “living with others”. Ironically, social media is leading people to live a life lacking in physical meet-ups and conversations by carefully tucking them behind black screens. Here are two generic points that demonstrate how online social activities are making a drastic backward change in our lives.
The social sheeple
Everyday indulgence in social media puts pressure on us to follow trends or imitate the “influencer” lifestyle. This in turn forces us sometimes to create a false image of ourselves. The social bubble we live in is carefully created by us according to our taste. We are getting so used to the false social media image that we begin to naturally incorporate it into our existing personality. People tend to follow popular figures to fit in among other “cool” people, which in turn could lead them towards popularity. This initiates an incessant chase of becoming a “proper fit” by throwing away our true personalities and wearing fake skin instead.
For example, Instagram models and YouTubers. Not everyone is exceptional enough to pursue their talent and make a lot of money out of it. However, the interest of millennials in these fields has blown up in recent years even when the success conversion rate is rather skimpy.
Appear and disappear
We are willing to bicker with others for hours from behind the screens but won’t care to indulge in a meaningful in-person conversation. This is because of the sense of security behind the screens and the fact that any person unlikable to us will disappear at the click of a button. We feel safe when we don’t have to expose ourselves to others. Fear of being judged is a major reason behind this and this fear can be eliminated through social media. People tend to carelessly rant and argue about something online as they don’t need to show their true selves, hence dodge all the criticism.
A friend of mine had to go through a gross incident online where he was labeled as an “anti-nationalist pig” and was sent hateful texts by a group of people for having different opinions about a ruling political party.
I will be biased to write that the online world has nothing else to offer other than dissent. In current pandemic times, online connectivity is helping mankind more than ever. While it is not practical to go out and meet people or converse over a cup of coffee in these trying times, a little introspection and research are much needed before indulging in any online activity. It is much more worthwhile walking down your path rather than being in someone else’s shadows.