Self-esteem and worthiness has now gone digital. Many will post what they think is a brilliant image, update, video, selfie, or a share, then hold their breath in anticipation hoping that someone “likes” their post. Then they feel empowered once someone does.
They feel that they’re hip, that they’re relevant, funny and interesting, and not a boring aloof dunce. That they’re one of the cool kids.
Then there’s the feeling of dejection, failure, if they don’t get a single like. What’s wrong with me? Doesn’t no one like or care about me?
The proper response is, should be, that you shouldn’t care what anyone else thinks, how others respond to your social media activity.
How you react and feel about this feedback however, reveals all.
Getting some type of a response from your Facebook “friends, is the main purpose and motivator why you scour the Internet for hours, just to post and get those likes.
Then you pray that just even a single like will do, this to fortify your ego.
What’s known however is that “likes” are given out arbitrarily. People just don’t really care about you or who you are.
It doesn’t really depend on how cool you are, how pretty you are, if you like that person or not, when you happen to click on and like their profile pic.
Living Life In The Digital Box
Really? Has our life been reduced to this, virtual likeability? Something as easy, simple and irrelevant as a Facebook “like” makes people feel better?
What getting a like means, is that others are invested in you enough, in your relationship with one other, this to the point that an effort is extended to click on the like icon, and you are rewarded.
These displays are especially important, if it comes from people they know, such as that hot girl from school.
There’s intense satisfaction for those who receives a lot likes, feedback, or birthday wishes. What’s also important, is the quantity and the quality of the responses.
Reacting To Social Media Feedback
Those with low self-esteem, will take the negative comments of others to heart, the lack of a like, especially if they know that person personally.
They’ll become disgruntled, despondent and sad, once they find that the Facebook post they’ve made, receives no likes.
It’s come to the point, where Facebook is a place where they find support, as they’re social livelihood hinges on it.
They’re actually mentally affected, if they get less positive feedback, than their more attractive or popular friends.
Those with low self-esteem are far more susceptible, when it comes to social media feedback. If they happen to get positive results their mood elevates, and if they don’t, they feel inferior.
Building Sense Of Purpose
It’s found that self-esteem is a barometer, which determines ones emotional response to social stimuli and feedback.
The relationship between self-esteem and Facebook “likes,” also depends on another more important factor, which is having a sense of purpose.
Self-esteem is considered how stable an individuals mindset is, which can easily be influenced by the events of their livelihood, which in this case is social media feedback.
Self-esteem can be improved by one having a strong sense of purpose, a reason, such as the things they do are worthwhile, or they having valid reasons for living the life they do.
Those who has little life purpose, the more negative social media feedback they receive, the worse they feel. Their mood genuinely swings on this ledge.
“Likes” Self Esteem And Purpose
So what’s known is that how many “likes” or shares someone gets on their Facebook posts, such as a profile update, and how it affects their self-esteem, depends on the degree of focus they have on their life.
It’s known for certain, that receiving large number of likes for instance, actually improves the mood for those who feasts on the opinion of others.
These likes however, doesn’t have any affect whatsoever, for those who have some sense of purpose. They just shrug and carry on.
What the approval of others, whether it’s positive or negative, has absolutely no effect on them. It’s obsolete tomorrow.
This digital world has become a dagger for some, where a few words and slights on an introverted mindset, attacks and bitters their well being.
The Biting Teeth Of Social Media
What this does, is displays the role that social media has on those who are lonely, or the vulnerable such as teenagers, who are still searching for identity.
They wonder what’s wrong them, why they’re liked, disliked, or accepted by others.
Going online on social media, where there’s peer-to-peer competition, is one of the most important activities that they do.
What’s known, is that 92% percent of those young adults who go online on a daily basis, usually on social media, is to gauge their personal worthiness.
This is where they search for, and find their sense of identity, which is an extremely important part of their personal development.
What most, especially young adults are searching for is their individuality, where they slot in, and social media tells them where.
What they’re especially sensitive and vulnerable to, is taking every negative social media feedback that they receive to heart, as their life depends on the approval of others.
Social Media Fills That Cavity
What the Internet and it’s evil stepchild social media has done, is exposed and exploited every crack and crevice of our personalities, our emotions, and what or how we should think or feel.
What’s known is that the feedback we receive, makes us feel supported, gives us confidence on who we are.
What a mindless meaningless click of a mouse now has, is extreme power on our livelihood and how we behave.
Not everyone however, is influenced by this feedback on social media.
What it depends on, is our general level of self-esteem that we have, our sense of purpose in our lives.