The Romanticisation of social media: Life is not about ‘aesthetics’
As much as there are pros to social media, the cons sometimes outweigh them. There is so much information being shared on social media and with any information given, not many people question it because the glitz, the glam, and the wealth thrown out there are alluring. The more social media platforms advance, there is nothing wrong with using social media to make an income, but not everyone can do it. Not making it ‘big’ on social media does not mean failure, it simply means that that way of living is not for you and there are other healthier ways of making a living.
Yollande, an up-and-coming model and social media influencer in her twenties states that no matter how strong-willed a person might be, there will be negatively influenced by social media. “I would be lying if I said social media had no impact on me. It has had me thinking that I’m not good enough and to add fuel to the fire, having family or friends compare you to your age mates who have succeeded in
life… doesn’t feel very nice, to say the least.”
A Behind the scenes Picture of Yollande during her first professional photoshoot
Yollande further states that unemployment pushes people to the edge, which in turn makes them try any means to have some source of income. Not everyone young person is fortunate enough to come from a well-off family or family with connections. Some graduates struggle to find work, and it might even take them years to land their dream jobs. On the other hand, graduates who come from well-off families can
easily find a job. The influx of young adults seemingly being successful influences others to join them. Content creation is no longer fun as it used to be, rather it is about who can buy a car, or house and have luxury brands before the age of 26. “Being an influencer is not easy because it has a lot to do with one’s appearance and how well you are received by society. It is so easy for up-and-coming influencers to
compare themselves to already-established influencers with a huge fan base. To some people, that might seem silly or childish, but it greatly affects one’s mental health. Social media made me believe that I should accomplish certain things, and have my own apartment and car at a certain age, which is usually from 18 to 24 years old. As much as I say all these, I believe that if I pace myself and try my best, I will achieve those things when it is time. Another thing, influencers should be honest on how things are in the industry instead of selling dreams that don’t exist,” states Yollande.
Social media is getting bigger and the dangers it possesses to health are being downplayed to an alarming extent. The goal of being on social media is focused on making money- lots of it. A student from the University of Johannesburg states that pursuing the riches of life depends on the types of riches in question. Realistically, it is important for us to be financially stable in this economy, but pursuing it should not
get to a point where our mental health is damaged. She states that the new scene of social media is dynamic and unique, therefore, there is an insurgence of influencers and content creators.
“Social media is a phenomenon that attracts both old and young but is more relative to younger users. Social media affects the mental health of young people who are subjected to receiving backlash, and negative or even rude comments from onlookers. It’s surprising how it is so obvious, but many people decided to overlook it,” the student states.
When another university student was asked about the influence social media had on her as well as the need to be successful at a young age, she stated that she was swayed by it, but she does not allow it to lead to self-hate. She states that young adults must already deal with so much and social media triggers their hidden emotions, leading to toxic mental health. An image of the student from the University of Johannesburg. She says it’s important to spend time in the real world. Take time to engage positively on social media as it will boost your mental health. Most importantly, don’t rush life, live it.
As much as people, young and old, should adapt to changing times, taking care of one’s health should never come second, it should be a priority. There is nothing wrong with having a job outside of social media, although young people say that you can succeed without going to university, it is just as important to prioritise education. “Spend more time being young people in the real world. Being young is aboutexperiencing life and embracing all its riddles, digital platforms make us think that there is a perfect world, and the reality is that the world is far from perfect. Try to engage with positive feeds on social media instead of looking at things that bring you down,” says the student.
A picture of a damaged basketball net. The student states that the tear in front doesn’t disturb the peace, it actually creates a wholesome image. The peace portrayed in this image is God’s peace watching over you.
A recent high school graduate, Zandisile, also shared her thoughts on this and empasised on the fact that the influx of influencers has young people questioning their worth and purpose in life. She states that young people should not bring themselves down because not everything they see online is real. Influencers will only show the good and not the bad. “Young people should not speak negatively about themselves, “Some lyrics that always pop into my mind are ‘If you tell yourself you’ll never be great, you’ll never be great. Not because you’re not, but the hate will always find a way to cut you up and murder your faith,’” Zandisile explains.
The most important thing that young people and the youth, in general, can do is to practice self-control on social media and not allow all the glitz and glam to easily influence them. Happiness does not only come from money, nor should it. being content with what you have now is very important for one’s mental health. It teaches the importance of hard work put into achieving your dreams. Life is a journey, and it teaches the importance of appreciating the strength, confidence, and faith one has. Social media offers an unrealistic dream while downplaying the beauty of life. Life should be filled with aesthetics; people should be living in the moment and not online.