3. Self-presentation and Self-image
3.2 The Choice of Self-Presentation
We have control over what we share. It's important to remember that we don't have to show everything from our lives. We can consciously choose which aspects of ourselves we want to reveal. And this choice can help us develop a more positive self-image, which is a good thing! For example, we might show more of what we're proud of, what's important to us, and the positive experiences we've had in our lives. It can remind us of beautiful moments. But what we consciously don't post can also say something about us. What do we not show? What's important to us but we're not ready to share yet, maybe because we're not confident enough or still working on it. Our choices can show us where we might want to go next.
And in doing so, we should always remember, as children, we rarely played out our lives getting up, going to school, and doing homework. Instead, we fought dragons, played family, built space stations, hid in homemade caves, and chased robbers. So, there's no need to show yourself on Instagram on a Sunday evening with greasy hair and a Nutella jar sitting on the couch just because that's the reality. We also don't need to feel compelled to present our lives in all facets. It's completely okay not to show everything—that's not the point. As mentioned, this choice of self-presentation can help us develop a more positive self-image. And as mentioned, just like Lego didn't meticulously recreate our own rooms but the next space station, what we want to be and what's important to us or how we want to be seen also says something about us! As long as we always remember that social media doesn't depict life or the body as it always appears, maybe that's okay too. We must never forget that all of this doesn't reflect the entire reality. Just as the Lego space station doesn't either. Although it must also be said that the brain may not always have this ability to distinguish between reality and non-reality, especially in the subconscious. Therefore, we should consciously remind ourselves more often that social media rarely reflects reality completely.
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Swipe Right for Self-Discovery: Social Media as a Guide to Self-Finding
Non-FictionIn an era where discussions about the potential risks and negative impacts of social media are ubiquitous, there arises the necessity to change the paradigm and take a more nuanced view of these platforms. It is often emphasized that social media ai...
