The Tendency To Pretend On Social Networks
There is currently a tendency to pretend on social networks. But are we really as happy as we seem to be on social media?
Why do we have a need to constantly “pose” (later in the text we describe what this word means in this context) with disguised versions of our lives on social networks?
If you look at different social networks, you will see many posts from acquaintances who travel around the world. Or maybe you will see a picture of a friend you have not talked to in a few weeks but who is now suddenly in love.
According to a study on social networking conducted at the University of Pennsylvania, we spend about 37 hours online per week. This corresponds to about 22% of our time.
According to the study, our social lives are related to the social platforms we use on the internet. So it’s no wonder we use its apps to send messages to people close to us.
We are all connected via social networks and they are a part of our daily lives. However, we should ask ourselves what part of our reality do we actually show through the social networks? Is it that we pretend on social networks?
Posing on social networks and the search for attention
We have a burning desire to pretend we are happy. We try to make the world believe this, even when it is not true.
According to several surveys, there is a genuine desire to be heard to try to please others. This is shown by the need for attention that we show on social networks.
We want others to accept us and give us positive reinforcement. For example, the feeling of well-being that you get when you upload a “selfie”.
This gives a positive reinforcement when counting likes and flattering comments. Who does not like flattery? But what does it mean to “pose” in this context?
It is about an attitude or behavior that is not natural or honest but whose purpose is to attract attention or have a certain effect, especially in social networks.
The psychologist José Elías, a member of the international hypnosis community, defines it as:
In other words, there is a need for social acceptance by presenting an image of ourselves that is not real, according to this psychologist.
The effect of “contagious happiness”
According to a study at the University of California, people’s moods are changed by what they see on social networks. The published content has a tendency to exhibit an “infectious happiness”.
According to this study, we feel that we want to achieve the same state when we see that others are happy. This therefore causes us to share similar content and produce this effect ourselves with the “contagious happiness”.
This “happiness” on social networks will then spread rapidly. You are encouraged to be present on social networks with a continuous wave of “happy” messages and photos.
The desire to pretend: is what we publish real?
Psychologist Yolanda Pérez says that “There is a little of each. The most frequent are the people who show the truth, the ones who are not authentic and also the people who present half-truths ”.
She also says that “we show how nice and happy we are, but we only show a part of our reality. The day has 24 hours and it is impossible to be happy and smiling all the time ”.
The reality we project on social networks is probably not completely complete. The reason for this is that it is impossible to be happy all the time.
Life is full of positive and negative emotions, and if you ignore them, they will only hurt us.
It is obvious that most of what we see on social networks is not a reflection of reality and that one pretends on social networks.
The experience that occurs on social media is relative, as we discussed above. We should not make the mistake of thinking that there are people who are ecstatic 24 hours a day. Keep in mind that we all experience sadness and frustration.
Having a bad day is a part of life and this helps us to appreciate the good times even more. Remember that no one’s life is perfect, so you do not have to pretend to be someone you are not.
