Social Media: Do Some People Objectify Others On Social Media?

When some people use social media, it is a way for them to stay in contact with their friends and family. Some of the people they know could live down the road or a few hundred miles away, and others could live in another country, for instance.

This is not to say that they won’t share things as well, as there could be moments where they upload images and shares videos, among other things. As a result of this, it could mean that one hasn’t got many ‘friends’.

Real Friendships

What this comes down to is that one is not going to simply add anyone and they are not going to accept friend requests from people they don’t know. Through having this approach, it is to be expected that they won’t have thousands of friends; in fact, they might not even have hundreds.

But regardless of how many people they do have on their list, there is a strong chance that they will know them all. Now, there could be a number of people they haven’t seen for a while, but that could be as far as it goes.

Another Option

As one has this approach when it comes to social media, it could mean that it is just another way for them to stay in touch with people. It is then not seen as something that will replace real interactions with others.

And if they do have friends or family who are in another country, it will be a great way for them to stay in contact. This will show that one has a balanced approach and there is going to be no reason for them to become addicted to it.

Life

If one behaves in this way, it could be a sign that the rest of their life is going how they want it to, or that it is fulfilling. There is then no need for them to look towards social media to add meaning to their life.

The relationships they have offline could be a part of this, and this will make a big difference to how they feel. Yet this doesn’t mean that one needs to have a lot of people around them in order for this to be so, as this won’t be necessary.

Another Experience

However, although this is how a lot of people use social media, there are going to plenty of people who don’t use it in this way. This can then mean that one will use it as a way to change how they feel and to change how they see themselves.

Now, one can still use it to connect with the people they know, but this won’t be their primary concern. And when it comes to social media, it is not going to be difficult for one to change how they feel through using it.

Emotional Regulation

This is something that can take place through one sharing something on their wall or uploading an image, for instance. And through receiving ‘likes’ and comments, it is highly likely that one’s emotional state will soon change.
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The feedback that they receive can also have a positive effect on their self-image, and this is because one can take the feedback personally. It is then not that their ‘friends’ value what they have shared; it is that they value them as a person.

More ‘Friends’

If one only had their family and the people they actually knew on their friends list, they would only be able to receive a certain amount of comments and ’likes’. However, if they were to accept anyone or to add anyone, this wouldn’t be the case.

Thus, it will be important for them to add as many people as they can and it won’t matter who they are. Ultimately, one is not looking to meet these people in the real world; they only want them to respond to what they share.

Objectification

One way of looking at this would be to say that one will be using others in order to change how they feel. The value these people have to them rests on their ability to give them ‘likes’ and comments.

Along with this, each of these people will allow them to have a certain amount of friends, and this will make them look popular. One is then not going to see them as human beings that have their own feelings and needs; they are simply there to fulfil their needs.

A Two Way Process

Yet while one will be objectifying other people; this can also be a time where they will also be objectifying themselves. This can take place through them uploading images of their body or their face, for instance.

Their body will then be seen as something that they can use to receive positive responses. This can then set one up to believe that their value depends on how other people respond to them.

Up And Down

When one receives the responses that they want from others, there life could end up being fine; but when this doesn’t happen, they could soon hit rock bottom. The trouble with being this way is that it will be a challenge for one to define how they feel.

They will be giving their power away to other people, and it will be a challenge for them to grow older. This is because their appearance will change and as they don’t value themselves, they will have nothing to fall back on.

Conclusion

What this shows is how important it is for one to value themselves, as this will make their life a lot more fulfilling. In order for this to take place, it might be necessary for one to reach out for external support. 

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