Who do we become when we believe nobody is watching? Who do we pretend to be when everyone is? The issue with social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat is that they create a situation where people validate themselves on likes, views, and shares, based on a fake side of themselves that they present to the world. Afraid to be unique because of hate comments or insufficient interaction with one’s page, authenticity and individuality among content creators and everyday people doesn’t exist. Self-expression now only lies in what’s considered trendy and within society’s collective definition of “normal”.
Before disconnecting from TikTok, I was just as guilty as the next person. Picking out my daily outfits with inspiration from my favorite influencers, using only popularly advertised makeup products, eating meals that were “supposed to be healthy” because someone on TikTok said it to be true. While these little details don’t seem to be significant, each little change causes a person, myself being a testament, to sacrifice a piece of their individuality.
While it can seem like a healthy source of entertainment, social media quickly becomes addictive. When asked about how social media has impacted her behavior and daily routine, Junior Samarah Hyder described her personal experiences, passionately stating, “I have it, but I think that it negatively affects me because I’m on it 24/7 and it causes me to procrastinate everything I have to do. For example, school work.”
A neighboring consequence, which results from feeding into the idealized lifestyles on social media, is the inevitable desire to compare. Compare wealth. Compare looks. Compare amounts of friends. Compare style. Everything becomes a competition to satisfy society, and one’s need to belong.
Not only are these social media apps designed to highlight only the best sides of people’s lives, but they continue to follow certain algorithms based on their users’ interaction with various pages. Haydyn Cote, a junior at Morris Knolls High School, stated his personal experiences with social media algorithms, saying “It feeds you the stuff you want to hear. For example, I went snowboarding, nothing opened or searched online, phone picked it up without being on, then my entire for you page is snowboarding.” While this example seems harmless, it is just one representation of social media only feeding users specific information and videos. This can be related to individualism again because when someone’s feed becomes an entire page of modern style, the choice of what to wear on a day to day basis seems filtered. Each outfit must match the aesthetic of their favorite influencers.
Clothing is designed to be a way to demonstrate creativity and uniqueness. While looking on social media for inspiration is what the apps were designed for, society doesn’t just look for inspiration now. Young, impressionable teens, look for someone whose style they can replicate, and turn into their own. As this takes away the creative aspect of a wardrobe, it also leads people to further lose their authenticity.
Style, as explained before, is not the only way in which social media has stripped away individuals of their self-expression, but also through their own, original thoughts and opinions. TikTok can be a good source of information related to political and social issues, locally or worldwide. However, it is important to validate the information which is being presented. In reference to the idea of an “echo chamber”, algorithms only show one side to each argument. This leads people to form narrow opinions, without hearing the entire story. The slight exposure to new information is always important, but it is even more necessary to not only follow the opinion of those online, but also your genuine thoughts and feelings towards different issues.
In a generation shaped by comparison, algorithms, and filters, it becomes extremely easy to lose your individualism, and hide behind the screen. Mr. Bradley, a teacher here at Morris Knolls, went through high school without the same exposure to social media. In a brief statement, Mr. Bradley spoke, “Social media is your generation’s worst nightmare.” When we allow social media to dictate our style and opinions, we let go of our authenticity in search of society’s approval. By taking a step back, and looking underneath the performative posts and pictures, we can rediscover ourselves, and allow our uniqueness to radiate.
