Does social media make you conscious and anxious?

[DecMikashimota]

I have social media accounts on most platforms, but I'm not as active as I used to be. I recently deactivated my main Facebook account as some posts from friends were annoying me, and also people that don't understand you can send vile messages and comments that can upset you. Rather than block them, it was easier to deactivate for a while.
It makes me think that people who comment aren't always helpful, and while we have to accept social media is part of life, we still must control it and we have aright to don't we?

I understand, I have a different account now that basically has none of the people that I used to call my friends on it. That is okay though, I feel better just seeing things in my news feed that I like, not particular people who pretend to be close. I have watched my sister get anxious about how long it took her to receive likes for pictures and that did make me feel a little uneasy. I do not think that social media has a good effect on people at all.

 

[ReadmeByAmy]

I had only one social media account and this Facebook and I am using this in order to communicate with my family, relatives and close friends and not for any other purposes. But I had set my privacy only to this people and not to anybody else. Ever since I migrated to another country I am able to fight my feeling of being homesick when I am receiving messages and photos from them. I am always happy that I can talk and see them on messenger especially my mom. It is nice that even I am far away from them we are always updated with each other everyday lives. That is why I may say that this is helping me in any ways to continue to live my life even my family are not with me.

 

[SheWrites1980]

I feel like social media can be a wonderful thing. I love that I'm in connect to some extent with people from high school and college who I otherwise would never get to know anything about. Because of Facebook, I know who lives where, who is married, who has kids, and what vacations they take. I love the funny and positive things people share. That being said, I get extremely annoyed and frustrated over a lot of posts as well. It seems there are people who are only on social media for attention and/or to complain about their lives. I have had to unfollow several people because they just always seemed to bring me down. I know not all of life is rainbows and butterflies. I've had lots of things in my life that have brought me low. But I try to only share the happy parts of my life. No I'm not bragging. I'm sharing my joys. People have enough of their own struggles and hardships. They don't need to suffer through mine as well.

 

[Robilas]

I don't really like social media. I mostly use Facebook to communicate with my close friends and to upload some picture from time to time, but in general I dislike it. It's just.. too much. All the details of your life are exposed to basically everyone, and everyone is free to look into your life. On top of that, there is a costant validation need: if I post something that doesn't receive enough likes or comments, I feel sad about it, even if I know that it's just silly. Luckily my friends understand those needs and are ready to show me support even on social media.


Facebook, Twitter and the other social media are double edged swords. They can be either a safe place to express yourself and receive support from other and a place that increases your anxiety. If you are feeling to conscious about your social profiles, just turn them off for a while and put things back into prospective.

 

[cecejailer]

Yes, usually, but I use it anyway. I hate Facebook and only use it to chat with friends, but I always choose to appear offiline. I love instagram and snapchat though, to follow celebrities and fashion-related things (which I love). I think all social media (besides Facebook, which you usually add people you know) can be good depending and what/who you follow. If you follow things that you're interested in, people that inspire you, etc, it can be pretty good as a distraction. I'm completely obsessed with Snapchat, it's the first thing I check when I wake up and the last I check before I go to sleep XD

 

[Bea]

It depends on the social media and who I'm involved with. I'm fine on Twitter, because I mostly have online friends there who have the same hobbies and neuroses as I do, so we all relate to each other very well and we're understanding of each other when situations get rough. But when it comes to Facebook... Yeah, it does make me feel conscious about myself - because I can't help but compare myself to my Facebook friends, many of whom I know in real life and go to university with, or have gone to school with in the past. They're the people I grew up feeling anxious about, because I've always felt like they've constantly judged me and my achievements (or lack thereof). In fact, a good number of my old schoolmates are now either married, or have kids, or both. I recognize that I'm still young - hell, I'm only twenty-one - but my friends who keep having these life milestones have made me feel very conscious about what I'm doing with my life.

 

[NormaD]

I have found that I have an easier time communicating and interacting with people on social media than I do when I'm face to face with them. I feel that there is less judgement and less chance of being in a situation where I start to feel anxious about how people are responding to me. If it were up to me, I would only interact with certain people just on social media. Our relationship would be better for it.

 

[Panic57]

I find that most social media platforms and forums are just troll magnets. People can be anonymous and act their worst without feeling the social pressure of being polite and nice. I feel that a huge chunk of Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Youtube just wants to watch someone burn. It's not terrible surprising considering how popular celebrity scandals are but it's easier now to destroy someone's else life on a whim. I've been trying to minimize how much time I spend on social media because of this. It never fails that some troll will take what you say out of context and then spread lies about you. It's extremely stressful.

 

[Deeishere111]

Some people can be very cruel when they write online. I think it's because they are behind a screen and you can't see them. If they wanted, they could post a fake picture. People say things they would never say face to face. I strongly believe that if you don't like a viewpoint then just don't read it. I know sometimes we may disagree but we can still be respectful.

 

[janemariesayed]

I have social media accounts on most platforms, but I'm not as active as I used to be. I recently deactivated my main Facebook account as some posts from friends were annoying me, and also people that don't understand you can send vile messages and comments that can upset you. Rather than block them, it was easier to deactivate for a while.


It makes me think that people who comment aren't always helpful, and while we have to accept social media is part of life, we still must control it and we have aright to don't we?

When people annoy me on social media I just block them. Although, depending on what they have done to annoy me I may send them a message privately first. I spelled a word wrong one time, by one letter only. It was only an enquiry about a game and I didn't notice that I had done it. Instead of answering my question she was sarcastic and said that she knew the answer to the correctly spelled word but not the answer to the wrongly spelled word. (Fir v's fur). I was really vexed and private messaged her and called her all the names under the sun. I looked on her account and it turned out that she wasn't even from an English speaking country. I looked down her wall and I found loads of spelling mistakes that she had made. She really annoyed me and I had to let off steam at her. Once I had let off steam I felt better and then blocked her the next day.

Another time, the same game, I couldn't find where the yeti was. I asked and searched for about an hour for clues where to find this damned yeti. One player told me to not bother looking for it and that I should stop asking. I said that when I found that damned yeti that I was going to shoot it and have it for dinner. Most people found it funny, which was the way it was meant, but this one person decided to take it the wrong way by telling me what she wanted me to do. I answered tough' and she replied that I was obnoxious! So she got a strongly worded PM and then got blocked.

I don't much like social media either. A few friends I don't mind speaking with as they are non-judgemental and polite. Mostly I don't post for fear that someone is going to wind me up and annoy me for the day. I then feel embarrassed in front of other friends and it just makes me feel more anxious. I think that people think they can be rude and nasty because they will never get to meet who they are insulting or making fun of.

 

[Snapdragon]

I feel social media has changed a lot over the past 5 years. Once it was a tool to make friends and join interest groups, now it seems to be more about entertainment and popularity.

I hate Facebook personally. I feel it's become very competitive and brings the worst out in a lot of people. I often get really angry with the discriminating and foul things posted on there, it's like people just don't care if they offend anyone.
I also hate how it's all so superficial. No one actually talks to each other, it's more showing off things they have done or how good they look in a selfie. If you don't participate in that kind of thing, people just leave you out.

I spend most of my time on Tumblr, but it's also gone downhill after Yahoo tried to take it over a few years ago. Again, it's less about social interaction and making friends, and more about having "fans." It's also got to the point that you can't say anything on there without conflict. Either someone will purposefully say things to upset you, or someone will harass you because you made a mistake.
If it weren't for my friends on Tumblr, and the great art community, I'd probably leave it. It's overbearing most of the time.

But yeah, I once found social media as a good outlet, but these days I feel calmer staying away from it.

On another note, I feel social media has been taken over by companies trying to make money too. There's so much spam and advertising online now it's frustrating. I think if YouTube puts any more ads on the videos, it'll end up like tv. 20mins of ads, then 10mins of content. Its ridiculous.

 

[Alex]

On another note, I feel social media has been taken over by companies trying to make money too. There's so much spam and advertising online now it's frustrating. I think if YouTube puts any more ads on the videos, it'll end up like tv. 20mins of ads, then 10mins of content. Its ridiculous.

I do agree that social media is now part of the marketing world rather than purely a means of communication. Since I started this thread I moved to my secondary account and used that where there are only a small handful of people on there. I use it primarily to control my Facebook pages for my work, because you have to access it through your home page. It made it difficult not to notice things in your feed that wouldn't make you angry or distract yourself, so this way I could still control my pages.

There is too much advertising, and scammers out to find out information. Recently I wanted to join some groups but they declined me because they don't want people with private accounts, as in if you hide your friends and also don't post publicly. While I can see some trolls and fake profiles are a nuisance, most would be public. Anyhow, I would value my privacy more than joining a group for the sake of it.

 

[janemariesayed]

Another thing that annoys me about Facebook is the fact that it watches everything else you do on the computer. This is obviously so they can show adverts that are relevant to you which is fair enough. What I don't like is being watched all the time whatever I do. They have even watched that I come on here and talk as I am getting ads now for mental disorders and those people who think they can help and have something to sell.

they watch what I research whatever it is and guarantee the following day I will see an advert, many adverts relating to what I had searched. I just feel invaded.