We all remember the time when we were kids, and we had just got our first smartphone. The feeling was almost euphoric. We could finally access Facebook, Instagram, and every other social media platform through our phones. We did not have to wait for our parents to get back home or get off their phones. Initially, everyone was on Facebook, and then we all somehow shifted to Instagram. But we worked on the same logic on both platforms. We posted ridiculous pictures, which in our opinion, were cool. What we were craving for were likes on those pictures. But why did those likes matter to us back then, and why do they matter to us even now?
How Does The Obsession With Likes Affect Our Teen Years?
A few years back, everyone was on Facebook. Likes, comments, and messages were the rage, and some of us would even sit and compare the number of likes we had got. We were kids who were learning new things every day, and we felt validated by those likes. It gave us the satisfaction that people ‘liked’ us. Then, Instagram came into the scene, and the moment we saw more features, we ran to use the new platform. But, the new features meant we had a greater ability to share our lives on the Internet. That brought a bigger obsession with being liked by other people. Our naivety would make us sit for hours to select one picture that would bring in a greater number of automatic like for Instagram.
We may not obsess over likes like we used to, but the moment the numbers decrease, we start finding flaws in ourselves. We think we are not perfect enough and become insecure and hyper-aware of our appearances.
Thus, as we grow up, there is a change in our attitude towards social media. We perceive things differently, but the obsession with automatic like on Instagram persists, even if it has decreased to a certain extent. We should keep in mind that we should not measure our self-esteem based on other people’s opinions. We should take a break from social media if it has been affecting our mental health negatively. It can help us put things into perspective. We can also take a step back and do other things that will help us grow mentally.