Does Social Media Exacerbate Perfectionism
Does Social Media Exacerbate Perfectionism
Social media completely blocks the essence of what it means to be ourselves
In this newsletter, we provide you with notes Does Social Media Exacerbate Perfectionism, an episode of Raising Good Humans with Dr Aliza.
Hosted by Dr. Aliza Pressman, a developmental psychologist with over 15 years of experience working with families and the creator of the Raising Good Humans Podcast. She is joined by Professor Thomas Curran, a psychologist at the London School of Economics, and author of the wonderful book The Perfection Trap: Embracing the Power of Good Enough.
Read our notes on exploring the relationship between social media and perfectionism.
Topics Covered in this Summary
How Social Media Feeds into Perfectionism
Impacts of Perfectionism on Young People
Setting Expectations on Social Media with Children
How Social Media Feeds into Perfectionism
Social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok are ubiquitous parts of young people’s lives, and when we talk about perfectionism, we're focused on the sense that we must be perfect.
Social media completely blocks the essence of what it means to be ourselves through its 24/7 bombardment of images, of how we should look and how we should appear. Now, young people also fear not getting any attention, likes, and shares online.
Instagram in particular is about photogenic ideas of perfect lives, lifestyles, fitness, body rituals, and all the rest of it. The bodies on social media are different because you can make them look more perfect because of technology, but to be perfect is inhuman.
Impacts of Perfectionism on Young People
Young adults struggling with perfectionism often struggle with inner pain and may mask their problems and pretend everything is okay which can lead them to suffer from a higher risk of mental health problems such as depression and anxiety.
Professor Thomas Curran explains: Their team did a study with adolescent girls on four occasions over the course of a week and asked them if they compare themselves with people on social media, and the majority said yes.
Another question asked was if they felt much better or worse after they compare, 85% of the girls said they felt much worse.
Study shows that female adolescents are particularly vulnerable to the standards of beauty displayed on social media and it often intensifies their insecurities and anxieties.
Setting Expectations on Social Media with Children
As parents, we want to create a healthy and safe environment for our children, and here are some ways that can help us achieve that:
Education and Awareness. Have a conversation with your child and open up about what social media is, what they might see is not always real and it is an artificial platform.
That the social element of social media is something that is fundamentally good and should be retained. You can encourage your child to use it for interacting with friends, building networks of shared experiences, and bringing them together on things that are meaningful to them.
Encourage children to avoid using social media to gain validation and self-worth. Talk about the fact that their value as a person does not hinge on attaining a perfect appearance.
The importance of social media is great if they're used and channeled in the right direction. But if we become reliant on them for self-esteem and let them shut us off from the world, that's when they become problematic.