Social Media: Can Social Media Cause Someone To Believe That The World Should Be Perfect?

When someone uses social media they can make sure that they only see what they want to see. As a result of this, it gives them far more control than they have in the real world, and this can allow them to have a fulfilling experience online.

Different Options

In order for them to control what they do or don’t see, the only thing they will need to do is to select the right options. Therefore, it is not as if they will have to do something that will take a lot of effort.

For example, one can ‘unfollow’ someone if they don’t like what they have to say, or they can simply ‘unfriend’ them. Yet if this is not enough, they can report them and try to have them banned from the site.

Omnipotent

One way of looking at this would be to say that one will like a god when they go online, and this is because they will have so much control. And as one has this much control, there is going to be no reason for them to put up with things that will have a negative effect on them.

Even so, this doesn’t mean that they won’t have moments when they will lose this control, and this comes down to the fact that there could be times when one of their friends shares something they don’t agree with. Or if this doesn’t happen, it could be something that occurs when they look through other peoples comments.

Low Risk

However, this could be something that will rarely take place and so it could be the last thing on their mind. Still, due to the amount of control they do have online, this could be something that is easy for them to overlook.

Alternatively, one could find that these things have a big effect on them, and as they have removed everything else that annoys them, it could be said that this is not going to be a surprise. This is likely to show that this has caused them to have a low tolerance for discomfort and the smallest things could then be hard for them to handle.

The Real World

Nevertheless, no matter how much control they have online, it is likely to pale in comparison to the control they have offline. When they are in the real world, they will have to put up with things that they don’t like from time to time.

For one thing, there will be times when they are around people who say things that they don’t agree with, and there will be very little that they can do. It could be said that this is just part of life and something that has to be accepted.

Two Experiences

Thus, providing that one can accept that their experiences online are going to be radically different to their experiences offline, it will be a lot easier for them to function in the real world. They will realise that even though they have a lot of control online, it is not possible for them to have the same amount offline.

In this sense, one will have a balanced outlook and there will be no reason for them to get worked up over something they are unable to change. But while this will be the ideal approach to have, it doesn’t mean that everyone will have it.

Overwhelmed

Through being able to have so much control on social media, they can expect to have the same control offline. It is then going to be a challenge for them to handle their day-to-day life.

The kinds of things that may have gone over their head in the past are going to have a negative impact on them. Their experiences online will have then made them sensitive (or even more sensitive than they were).

Perfect

But instead of realising why this has taken place, they could come to believe that the world needs to change. There is then going to be no reason for them to reflect on their own behaviour, as what is taking place around them will be seen as the problem.

Now, clearly there are a lot of things in the world that need to change, and it is important for people to do what they can to alter this. The world has probably always been this way and there is a good chance that it always will be.

Idealistic

When one believes that the world should be how they want it to be, they are going to suffer unnecessarily. This doesn’t mean that they should simply accept what is taking place and not do anything about it; what it means is there is a strong chance that it will never be how they want it to be.

It has been said it is normal for someone to be idealistic when they are younger and that when they grow up, they will become more realistic. What this emphasises is how social media can cause people to regress to an earlier stage of development.

Control

And by operating from this earlier stage of development, they are not going to be as a resilient as they would be if this wasn’t the case. Their need to change what is taking place in the world can then be a way to them to regulate their own emotions.

In their eyes, they can believe that they are trying to make the world a better place, but in the eyes of others, they could be seen as someone who wants to control other people. It can all depend on what they try to change and how they go about it.

Conclusion

As social media is a relatively new invention, we are only just beginning to find out how it affects people. But with that aside, it is already clear to see that there are a number of pros and cons.

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