Filtered Lives: Our True Selves Lost with Social Media!

In a world where everything we share is starting to turn into fakeness, who are we and how true are we?

Every morning when we open our eyes, our hand reaches for our phones. Notifications, mentions, stories, messages… Our lives are now taking shape within screens. The old line between reality, fiction and dreams has blurred, maybe even disappeared completely. It is now almost impossible to understand who is truly happy and who is just pretending.

We started to present the exact opposite of what we experience in a different way that people would like more, to show the unlived as lived and the lived as unlived. Social media has given us the freedom to shape and manage our own lives; but it has also made us set up a showcase, a show area. Even our happiness is effected, even our pain is shaped and artistic.

Think about it, you want to drink coffee and capture and share this moment, but the coffee cools down until you take an aesthetic photo, or you don't share it because you can't capture the aesthetics in the photo. Even in coffee, aesthetics are sought and expected.

In this “society of spectacle” we are all spectators of each other, but none of us are each other’s real interlocutors or friends. In fact, we are lonely and unsatisfied. No matter how much we get likes, there is something missing inside us that does not make us happy. Not being ourselves means appearing with a different identity.

Instead of staying in the moment and living, we try to gain appreciation by showing off and attracting attention, and we move away from enjoying the moment we live in. Instead of seeing the holiday as a time to relax, we see it as a time to show off, and we tire ourselves out with showing off during the holiday, and we cannot enjoy the holiday.

Individuals are constantly exposed to idealized images and lifestyles of others on social media, encountering “perfect lives” and “perfect bodies”, which leads them to unconsciously compare themselves to others. This creates a distorted perception that does not exist in reality, causing the individual to feel inadequate and to have lower self-esteem .

So what is the solution to being on social media without filtering our own self and not losing our self?

• The world of social media is mostly made up of realities shaped by filters and editing. No one shares every moment of their life, only the best moments. So remember that most of the photos shared are not true and avoid comparing yourself to these “perfect” images.

• Constantly monitoring someone else’s life can create pressures on your own journey. Remember, everyone’s story is different. Focusing on your own development can lead to a healthier sense of self.

• Who you interact with on social media is also very important. Connecting with supportive, positive people can help you feel more confident in the digital world. Positive comments and constructive interactions can boost your self-esteem.

• Living real life outside of the digital world is just as valuable. Establishing face-to-face relationships, spending time with nature, or spending time on hobbies can help you distance yourself from the influence of social media. The real world is richer and more is meaningful.

  
  

In conclusion, managing the psychological effects of social media is possible not only by following the right content but also by developing strategies that will strengthen your own sense of self. Sometimes it is necessary to turn off the screen and look inside ourselves, listen to ourselves, and be alone with ourselves. Sometimes it is necessary to focus on a moment without sharing it and enjoy that moment. It is necessary to remove the filters, be ourselves, and be realistic.