Since the dawn of the internet, people have had the ability to communicate and share their lives with others faster than ever before. This interaction has been amplified with the rise and popularity of social media platforms that allows people to be even more connected.
Social media and online networks make it easier for individuals to create their own online personas. There is even a certain art attributed to the deliberate crafting and personalizing of creating an online account. However, some can become so obsessed with modifying their online appearance and creating the perfect aesthetic for themselves that they may lose sight of reality.
The difference between real life and virtual life can be difficult for some people to distinguish because they become so wrapped up in how they present themselves that they become detached from their real identity. When they spend most of their time online in their social media bubble, they can struggle to return to reality and who they really are. This is extremely dangerous to others because someone can present themselves in a false light to every one who interacts with them online, causing friendships to be limited to what is said on social media and makes it easier for online “friends” to be deceiving.
Social media has allowed for a new type of confidence that may not otherwise be prevalent within people. It’s almost like a mask they can use to cover themselves with from who they are in reality, giving themselves a new persona and new way to live.
People commonly post comments or pictures and because it is on the internet, and feel it won’t effect them in real life. However, many do not consider the consequences it could warrant. After all, they did it behind this virtual mask. Often people feel more confident to share things they may not in real life simply for this reason. The internet can give an invincibility complex to users. However, this confidence is superficial and allows the user to be more sure of themselves. But in reality, it can have significantly negative effects.
This confidence can become harmful especially when people become reckless with what they post. This can resurface later on when an employer or someone in a position of authority views social media accounts and sees inappropriate content. While most kids have heard this warning before, it doesn’t register with them and the threat stays in the back of their minds. Again, the internet can create a sense of invincibility that doesn’t truly exist outside of their own minds. It can also pose an issue between users who choose to utilize the network to harm others emotionally or start conflicts.
While social media is an important and useful twenty-first century tool that many choose to use. Being able to differentiate between the internet and reality can be a bit confusing for those who let themselves get mindlessly consumed with the possibilities of the internet.
Lauren Johnston // Backpage Editor and Business Manager
