Social Media + Worth

Everyday people use social media as a way to connect with others, to express themselves. As social media turn approval through visible numbers such as likes, reposts, and follows it replaces our care for ourselves with online validation. This is why digital wellness has become increasingly important.

We as humans naturally want acceptance, and social media is the most accessible way possible. Not only is approval accessible, it is measurable. A 2016 study showed that getting many likes on your social media post activated the same reward-related brain regions that respond to other pleasurable activities. We as a society have replaced our natural confidence with meaningless numbers on the internet.

As a teen, I enjoy posting, sharing what I enjoy with others. My video got a couple likes, then a couple more, and then before I knew it was refreshing every second to see what everyone was commenting and how many people had shared my post to their friends.

Our worth isn’t determined by reposts, likes or followers. Digital wellness can help us develop a healthy relationship with social media by reducing stress and anxiety caused by social media and helps become more mindful of how technology can affect us and our well being