Social media vs reality and how this may affect connectivity

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 The intent behind social media started out innocent enough, and still mostly is. However, over time we as humans have discovered some of the unforeseen consequences that have come about from our consent world of connectivity. Over time several deficits have arisen that we as people will have to learn to cope with and tackle, especially considering social media seems to be growing- and will most likely not be going away anytime soon.

1. No filter

One of the things my grandma would constantly mention about what she disliked about Facebook was people's need to constantly air their dirty laundry. Whereas back in the day before social media one would have to go out of their way to let everyone know every little detail (even the bad ones) that is happening in their life. Nowadays, with the quick click of a button, you can say exactly what is on your mind before truly thinking about it, and for everyone to see. A fantastic example of this would be former President Donald Trump. Every small thing that came to mind he would tweet about. He would often do this to the detriment of our own government as he would sometimes say one thing would be legalized or made illegal, when in fact it had not passed the checks and balances process yet, or even been considered. 

2. Who is watching me?

We all are taught from an early age the concept of stranger danger. Don't go with someone you don't know, never give out personal information, and keep an eye out for anything suspicious on the internet. However, with the ability of social media allowing parents to share videos of their young children, and younger and younger children themselves gaining access to TikTok and Instagram, this has allowed for child predators to flourish. As we are finding out now, baby albums are no longer kept in a private binder, but rather shared online for the world to see. even for those who only share pictures of their children with family and friends, many are finding out the hard way that there are all sorts of discussing creeps lurking in the corners and that you can't always tell who they are. A fantastic example of this is a recent news article published on how a mother found out a man in her church group was taking photos she had posted of her young daughter, and putting them for auction on the black market to sell to the highest bidder, claiming that he was selling the girl to whomever wished to buy her. The mother had no idea this was happening and had set her Facebook to private, however, because the man was friends with her he was able to access those pictures. Thankfully an undercover informant discovered this plan and was able to stop it. 

https://www.13wmaz.com/article/news/crime/monroe-county-man-charged-with-attempting-to-sell-underaged-girl-dark-web-slave-website/93-f1085707-bcdc-47ba-abe0-4e26a6407c63#:~:text=Kelly%20Garret%20Ivey%20was%20charged,Jackson%20Lindsey%20Road%20in%20Forsyth.

3. Curation of ones reality

Ever seen those perfect moms on Instagram? They have a newborn but have already gotten rid of their baby belly. Their hair is perfect and their clothes are unstained. not an undereye bag insight. From what I've seen many mothers have called out this insane form of "reality" as not being what motherhood is actually like. Society has managed to further sculpt the perfection that a woman must be. Not only are you a smart, talented, beautiful woman, but you are also a perfect mother! and anything less makes you a failure. Many mothers who have grown up in the early stages of Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, and Instagram are now realizing the harm that these curated images can do. While many are comparing themselves to other mothers, some are even feeling as if they are unfit to be mothers and are no good. Thankfully, many mothers are coming out and showing the raw reality of motherhood, This has helped many to overcome their fears and realize that being a mother is far from perfect and that there is nothing wrong with that.

https://www.mother.ly/life/lets-be-honest-this-is-real-motherhood/

Comments

  1. Samantha MatherneSeptember 17, 2023 at 10:56 AM

    The curation of reality is what bothers me most about social media and not even just with mothers. Just like tv shows neglect showing the dull parts of life, we all know they happen. Social media does the same when people only post their accomplishments and happy moments in life. We're all human and have our ups and downs, but who wants to broadcast the downside of life to the world? Sharing the positives is definitely preferable, but every time I see a TikToker that I follow post a video saying they are not okay and THAT is normal, viewers flood the comments with messages of support or understanding. People tend to air the happy highlights of their lives online, and some views/readers forget that we only get half of the story. As you mention with new moms, too many people judge their own lives based on the chipper, perfectly curated realities they see of others on social media. That is dangerous to society as a whole, and I wish we would normalize showing all shades of life online.

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  2. Anna V.September 17, 2023 at 9:32 PM

    Your comment about some readers forgetting we only hear half of the story is such a great way of expressing this! The curated posts you mention can absolutely impact how people view themselves and their situations. I've started to see some blogs and reels that discuss the reality of life as a mom, though. It's encouraging that another conversation is emerging around this topic. Another area that is concerning to me is the way some posts depict diets and exercises because of how they could affect expectations regarding body image.

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