How Social Media Affects the Way We See Ourselves

How Social Media Affects the Way We See Ourselves

Rodiatunnisa1, Merliana Wati2

1,2 English Language Education Study Program, Mataram State Islamic University

In this world, especially in today’s era, many people strive to appear perfect on social media, and many have forgotten how to love themselves. In this era, many people feel inadequate because they often compare themselves to others on social media and it has indeed been found that individuals generally disclose more personal information via social media than they do in offline settings (e.g., Christofides, Muise, & Desmarais, 2009). Therefore, it is very important for us to love ourselves. Therefore we must be able to appreciate and love ourselves more.

One main reason why self-love matters is that many people lose their confidence after comparing themselves with others on social media. When we look at someone’s perfect life online, we often forget that everyone has their own problems too. I used to feel insecure when I saw people who seemed prettier or more successful than me. But later, I understood that what we see on the internet isn’t always the truth. Learning to love myself makes me feel calmer and more thankful for what I already have. 

Another reason why loving ourselves ia important is because it brings more happiness into our lives. When we can accept who we are, we stop worrying about other people’s opinions. I began to focus on improving myself instead of trying to copy others. It feels nice to realize that i am already enough just as i am. Self-love also gives me the courage to keep going, even when things get tough. 

Loving ourselves also helps us create better connections with other people. When we learn to appreciate and respect who we are, it becomes easier to do the same for others. I realized that after I started to love myself, I became more open, positive, and friendly to those around me. Self-love reminds us that real happiness comes from inside. When we treat ourselves kindly, we can also spread that kindness to everyone around us. 

From everything I have learned, I realize that loving ourselves is really important in this modern life. When we can accept ourselves just the way we are, we will feel more confident and happier. Life is not always easy, but with self-love, we can face it stronger. That’s why I want to remind not only myself but also others to stop comparing ourselves with other people and start to appreciate who we are. Let’s learn to love ourselves more, because true happiness starts when we accept and value ourselves. 

References

Cohen, J., Appel, M., & Slater, M. D. (2019). Media, Identity, and the Self. In Media Effects (4th ed.). Routledge. 

Prado, C. G. (2016). Social Media and Your Brain: Web-Based Communication Is Changing How We Think and Express Ourselves. Bloomsbury Publishing USA.