How social media pressure affects our emotional well-being

Every day, young Spanish people spend an average of 5 hours on social networks . Digital platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Youtube or Twitch are the main place where we communicate with friends and colleagues and seek entertainment.

On social media, many content creators and influencers have large communities of followers where they show an idyllic lifestyle, with constant moments of leisure and happiness, without responsibilities. What do you think the lives of these influencers are like? How does their content make you feel?

Spending many hours connected affects not only how we manage our free time but we can also end up constantly comparing ourselves to others, which ends up influencing the way we perceive ourselves, and this can also generate anxiety.

Spending many hours connected means that we end up constantly comparing ourselves to others.

Self-image and self-esteem

On social media, many influencers and profiles promote excessive importance to the body and physical beauty. For this reason, we can notice the aesthetic pressure to have a specific physical appearance. Everything that comes to us from others, for example, what we see through social networks, helps us build our own image, called self-perception or self-image . As we grow, the image of ourselves is formed, influenced by the interaction with our environment. If you are a teenager, you are still building your self-perception, which will be constantly changing.

When our self-perception is negative, insecurities may appear and we may be dissatisfied with our own image. This dissatisfaction, together with comparison with others, can lead to low self-esteem. Self-esteem is the assessment, perception or positive or negative judgment that a person makes of themselves. It can increase or decrease based on the experience we have in family, school, social, work situations, depending on the moment we live and our way of being, more or less self-critical or perfectionist.

The perception we have of ourselves influences how we relate to others, express ourselves or make decisions. People with low self-esteem tend to feel that they are not worth enough, that is, they have feelings of less value or inferiority, and this affects the way they face life's challenges and how they relate to others. There are times when it is normal to have a "less positive" self-esteem because perhaps the demands and expectations have increased and you are also more self-critical. In addition, self-esteem is important when building our identity.

The perception we have of ourselves influences how we relate to others, express ourselves or make decisions.

How to combat pressure from networks

• Learn to be critical of content and influencers . Networks are not a reflection of real life. They often project an image that does not correspond to reality, since most photos and videos are usually retouched with filters or programs. What influencers show on their profiles is nothing more than a part of their day to day. They choose what they want to show and which moments of their lives they hide. Networks often create expectations for us about how we would really like to be or live, but it is unrealistic to put it into practice.
• The number of likes does not give happiness . The number of likes you receive has nothing to do with your value as a person, nor does having many followers mean having many friends and healthy relationships. Sometimes, we can feel that we need our environment to reinforce our ideas and actions. If you are able to identify your strengths and weaknesses, you will need less approval from others.
• Improve your self-esteem . Do you judge your positive and negative aspects equally? And those of others, do you give them the same importance or do you only notice the good things? Try to value yourself compassionately by focusing your attention on the positive aspects of what you like about yourself. Don't obsess over what you don't like and avoid making unfair comparisons with others.
• Pamper yourself and take care of yourself . Spend time enjoying activities that are pleasant and make you feel good, without a productive or performance goal. For example, reading, dancing, listening to music, going out with friends, getting a beauty session or playing your favorite sport. Reviewing how these aspects of your daily life are doing will help you live a healthier life: Do you sleep well? Do you get enough physical activity? Do you eat a healthy diet? Do your relationships with friends and classmates make you feel good?

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• Your image on social media is another facet of your life . Your image does not define your identity, it is just a part that you want to show others. Aesthetic trends change, but your essence and identity will remain the same. Try to maintain what is yours, what you like and what makes you feel good.
• Surround yourself with people who make you feel good . Surround yourself with people who accept and value you for who you are and not for the number of followers you have or your appearance.
• Identify your emotions and communicate how you feel and what you need . Express your emotions and desires in a clear, direct, and respectful way. It will help you understand others better and communicate with them the way you want them to communicate with you.
• Limit the time you spend on social media . When social media makes us feel bad, it's a good idea to disconnect for a period of time. Some exercises you can put into practice to improve your digital well-being are: try going a day without your phone, uninstalling social media for a week, reviewing the time you've spent on your phone for a week, or agreeing to times of the day without your phone, especially before going to bed or when you first wake up. Once you've done them, try to see how you feel and if your mood has changed.