#honesty: What About the Grownups?
A lot of research has been conducted in recent years around the effects of social media on the minds of today’s youths. Influencer culture in particular has been determining trends and habits in a much deeper way than celebrity culture ever could alone. In a Centre for Mental Health blog post, Rhys Edmonds summarises that:
“[t]he evidence suggests that social media use is strongly associated with anxiety, loneliness and depression.”
And he suggests measures to mitigate this for young people, such as “integrating social media ‘lessons’ into subjects in school.”
But what about the impact this new fast-paced culture is having on the adult population. Are we too quick to assume that Gen X have avoided the worst of it? Sure, they might have been spared their teenage years being scrutinized online but there are still those who rely on a constant stream of personal updates to maintain their lifestyle.
“The hyper-competitive business of influencing takes a toll. Whether it’s hustling for deals or grappling with a constant itch to check your likes—the pressure is real.”
https://talkinginfluence.com/2021/08/20/influencer-marketing-trends-impacting-mental-health/
All the real-life Jack Brights and Jemima Princes out there might seem to be thriving thanks to this new economy, but at what cost?
It could be easy to brush all concerns aside. After all, aren’t they doing it to themselves? And don’t they seem perfectly confident and sure of themselves in their posts? Why should we care? But it’s important to remember that behind the glossy facade are real people who may be suffering from the same burnout, self-esteem issues and unhealthy cycles of behaviour that we worry about for younger users.
“[W]e’re all knowingly walking into a hall of mirrors and still believing the distortions beaming back at us … it’s absolutely playing tricks on our minds, and the effects might be irreversible.”
https://www.shondaland.com/live/body/a38964196/is-social-media-important/
So isn’t it time we asked: what about the grownups?
