Social media and self-worth

How many “likes” do you get on social media?
In today’s society, people believe that their popularity and beauty stem from the number of likes that they receive on their social media posts. Many measure their self-worth by the number of friends or followers they have on social media.
The number of likes or comments on a social media post seems important. It can be an indication of popularity. We all want to be liked, hence it’s natural to worry about what other people think of us. We get a little psychological high and feel a definite sense of accomplishment every time our post receives a positive reaction. A like on a tweet is like gold dust. On the other hand, we get embarrassed or depressed by scanty likes.
It’s human nature to think about and occasionally feel concerned about what people think about us, but equally, it’s important to be comfortable in our own thoughts and feelings, to know that we are sufficient; that our opinions, perceptions, and desires are enough; and that we don’t need a heart or thumbs-up to validate that.
The number of likes we get on social media is not significant in the long run. It is not as important as the number of genuine friends you have. It is also not as important as the relationships you have with members of your family. Your followers won’t help you when you have a rough day, and they won’t support you when you’re feeling down.
It would do you good to quit being busy counting the Instagram or Facebook likes, or the lack of it, on your most recent picture and giving too much value to your being Insta-famous or Insta-magnificent. Instead, teach yourself to believe in you. The world can be cruel, but you can’t always hide from it. Self-esteem comes from within and not from the opinions of others. When you post something, focus on how it makes you feel and never forget that even though you have few or thousands of followers or friends, you could probably count on two hands the number of people that really matter. Always strive to gain approval from the most important person: ourselves. It’s when we’re growing in commitment and courage that we feel proud of who we are.
Besides, many of us are wasting precious energy sculpting a version of our life online and as a consequence forgetting to nurture our real, offline life. We tend to rely more on social media than we do on each other, and many different issues are stemming from this. Our obsession with likes on social media is causing low self-esteem, poor body image, and unhealthy mental well-being. It might be challenging, but we can try to find balance between time spent online and time spent in the real world. Certainly, there are many other productive things we could be doing with our time, e.g. learning a new skill, reading a book, or taking an online course. — Dionnie M. Colalong