Social Media: Can Social Media Cause People To Have An Entitlement Mentality?

When someone wants to achieve something, there is the chance that they will have a number of people who inspire them. These could be people who they know personally or it may relate to people they know from a distance.

However, regardless of whether they know them or not, they will be having a big influence on their life. The people who inspire them may have already achieved what they want to achieve, and this is going to increase their inner belief.

In fact, if it wasn’t for what they have achieved, one might not believe that it is possible for them to achieve what they want to achieve. What this shows is how someone’s environment is influencing the kind of person they are, and the kind of person they want to become.

Two Levels

There will be ways in which one will realise how they have been influenced by their environment, and then there will be ways in which they are not. This could be because they were not old enough to understand what was happening and/or it could just be the result of the society they live in, for instance.

In today’s world, one is constantly being influenced by the media, and if one doesn’t take a step back from it all, they might not see how much of an influence it is having on them. And while in the past it was possible for someone to turn their TV off or to put a paper to one side, for instance, social media has given the media an even greater platform.

Constantly Connected

One can then end up in a position where they are more or less constantly connected to the media. As a result of this, it is easier than ever before for someone to be conditioned, and while not all conditioning is negative, it is not all positive either.

This can make it ever harder for someone to take the time to reflect on what they are hearing and to come to their own conclusions. One can then end up thinking in ways that are a reflection of what they have heard from the media.

Role Models

Through having a constant connection to what is taking place in the world, it is possible for someone to stay up to date with what their role models are doing. It is not longer necessary for them to buy magazines or papers as a way for find out what they have been up to.

The only thing they need to do is to go onto social media and to check out their page. This then gives them the opportunity to find out about things they might not have found out about in the past.

Unprecedented Access

If someone has a role model who is a singer or a musician, for instance, they can find out about their music, and they can also find out about their private life. And through being able to see what they are doing each and every day, one can end up feeling as though they ‘know’ the other person.

It then might not matter whether they have met the other person or if they actually know them personally. Without this level of access, it would not be possible for them to feel as close as they do.

Two Sides

However, although one can feel extremely close to someone through social media, they can also feel extremely disconnected at the same time. One reason for is because of how their role model experiences life, and how they could be living a life that is completely different to theirs.

Seeing how successful they are can then inspire someone on one hand and at the same time, it can also set them up to feel dejected on the other. It can all depend on who they look up to, and how they respond to what they are viewing.

Inspired

If someone does feel inspired by what they see, it may be possible for them to take the steps to achieve what they want to achieve. This is not to say they won’t feel frustrated at times, or wonder how the other person has achieved so much.

Yet, the other person’s achievements won’t cause them to feel overwhelmed, and stop them from being able to take action. In this case, it is also likely to mean that one has not set their sights to high.

Unrealistic Expectations

However, is someone is exposed to people who are musicians, sports stars or actors, for instance, there is also the chance that their expectations will be out of balance. This may be something that applies to people who have grown up with social media as opposed to those who grew up before it even existed.

And as they set their expectations so high, it may only be matter of time before they come crashing down. If they do come crashing down, they might not realise that not everyone is going to achieve the same things, and end up feeling like a failure.

Entitlement

This can also lead to another outcome where one will come to see that it is not possible for them to achieve the same things, and so instead of altering their expectations, they will believe that they are entitled to the same things. The need to work hard has then been replaced by the need for them to have whatever they want without having to do anything.

When someone expects to have the same level of success that other people have, without putting the work in, it is only going to cause problems. But even if they did work hard to achieve the same thing, it doesn’t mean they will be able to achieve it.

Conclusion

While someone can feel close to people who are successful through using social media, it is important to remember that they are on their own journey. They may have worked hard to get where they are, but there may also have been other factors involved when it comes to their level of success.

This is not to say that one should settle in life and not go after their dreams; what it does mean is that it is important for them to listen to themselves. Each and every one of us has our own life to lead, and while other people can provide us with inspiration, they can’t provide us with the path we need to take. 

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Oliver JR Cooper
http://www.oliverjrcooper.co.uk/