The Power of Social Media

I do not spend a lot of time on social-media. If I look at anything, it’s Instagram because it’s visual and the images are beguiling. They transport me into different worlds.

I’ve read about the negative effects social media can have on young people. How it can give them unrealistic views of other people’s lives, leaving them feeling depressed, desiring something they don’t have, and isolated. I understand this intellectually, but as an adult it didn’t really concern me. I felt it was just one of those side effects of this new way of communicating.

But recently, I’ve spent more time on Instagram than before—collecting images of places I want to travel to, saving beautiful interiors, and getting inspired by beautiful food.

I started feeling wanting, wishing I was in one of the beautiful spots I was seeing or envying the beautiful bouquets featured in entryways. What came over me was a desire for things I didn’t have.

Yet, I have plenty: a beautiful home, travel if I desire, flowers when I choose, and delicious food when I make it, so why was I longing? It isn’t a pleasant feeling so I started pondering why I was feeling ill-at-ease. The only thing I was doing differently was the amount of time I was spending on Instagram.

Is it possible that these feelings are a side effect of the time I’d spent on social media? As an adult I know better, yet I still felt I was missing out. I can imagine what a young person trying to find their place in the world would feel being exposed to so many things they longed for but didn’t have.

From that perspective, I understand how perilous social media can be for teens who already have a tendency to feel bad about themselves and who are already prone to depression. It’s something to think about.

What are your thoughts on social media?

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