PEREZ 2015

Researchers find that the more time people spend on social media, the more depressed they become
when comparing their lives to others. By constantly referencing the pictorial perfection that is portrayed
through social media accounts, it makes people feel bad about their own lives for not seeming as
exciting and perfect.

On top of feeling depressed by comparing our lives to others, depending on the amount of likes and
dislikes we do and do not receive, the depression may intensify.

People use social media as a way to get attention from others. Those that are not getting as many likes
as others, are seen as less popular and less appealing to the rest of the world.

CSUN journalism major, April Preciado, says that getting likes serves as an ego boost.

“I feel like it may help a person’s self esteem go up because they’re getting likes,” Preciado said. “They
feel like ‘wow, I guess I am attractive or I make good points’ on whatever he or she posted.”

She continued, saying that getting likes on her posts makes her feel like others are listening and
interested in what she has to say or show.

“We feel like as if we are important or hold some kind of title because people are listening to us and
they agree with whatever we are saying,” she said. “Truth be told, I feel like everyone loves the
attention at the end of the day.”

SUNSTRUM 2018 PSYCHOCENTRAL

One factor for the high rates of depression seen in social media-friendly people is the inconsistency they
observe between their ideal cyber self and their self-image. The desire to be seen positively has taught
us to silence our troubles and we now have no idea how to express inner turmoil without feeling like
we’re accepting social defeat.

For obvious reasons, people do not advertise their negative traits on their social profiles, nor do they
pose unflattering pictures. Because of this strict control of the way we are viewed, we are often fooled
into believing other people’s lives are much better than our own. What is essential to remember is they
too wear masks, the way I do, the way everyone does.

RAE JACOBSON

After a recent spate of college suicides, researchers at Stanford University coined the phrase “duck
syndrome.” The term refers to the way a duck appears to glide effortlessly across a pond while below
the surface its feet work frantically, invisibly struggling to stay afloat.
Several students who have died had projected a perfect image on social media—their feeds packed with
inspirational quotes and filtered images showing attractive, happy kids who seemed to excel with
minimal effort. But behind the digital curtain they were struggling emotionally.

Hiding imperfection

For kids experiencing anxiety or depression, carefully edited feeds can act as a smoke screen, masking
serious issues behind pretend perfection and making it harder for parents or friends to see that they
need help.

“It’s important to remember that just posting edited pictures online or pretending your life is a little
more glamorous than it is is not in itself a problem,” says Jill Emanuele, PhD, a clinical psychologist at the
Child Mind Institute. “Social media alone is unlikely to be at the heart of the issue, but it can make a
difficult situation even harder.”

Teens who have created idealized online personas may feel frustrated and depressed at the gap
between who they pretend to be online and who they truly are.

“If you practice being a false self eight hours a day, it gets harder to accept the less-than-perfect being
you really are,” says Dr. Wick, “and as we all know there’s no harsher judge of a kid than herself.”

Other people’s perfection

Another, more prevalent problem, says Dr. Emanuele, is that for some teens their social feeds can
become fuel for negative feelings they have about themselves. Kids struggling with self-doubt read into
their friends’ images what they feel they are lacking.

“Kids view social media through the lens of their own lives,” says Dr. Emanuele. “If they’re struggling to
stay on top of things or suffering from low self-esteem, they’re more likely to interpret images of peers
having fun as confirmation that they’re doing badly compared to their friends.”