How Are Social Media Trends Affecting People’s Ability To Think For Themselves?

By: Amelia Torry

Introduction

In an age that is dominated by the media, it is easy for people to get swept away with the everlasting wave of trends. Some last days, others years. While not all bad, some trends have carried negative effects with them and plagued the mind of the communities, especially younger audiences. Whether a trend is harmless, and focused on a new drink or collectible; or outright bullying or humiliating, people will be bound to follow. But how are these trends affecting people’s ability to think for themselves?

Image

Trends are not all focused on cool items that people can buy. We have entered an age where certain body types, features, and attributes are deemed as desirable, and go viral, causing people to chase these features like there is no tomorrow. However, when the trend inevitably dies, how valuable will these features be to the community in social media? In a world focused on looks and aesthetics, this can cause a rabbit hole of negative self-image and poor self-esteem for years to come. In a study conducted by Scope, results found that 1,200 18 to 34 year olds felt unattractive due to what they see on their social media feeds. Additionally 60% felt that they hadn’t achieved enough at their age due to what they see on these apps. No matter the age, people are susceptible to manipulation by the media, even when it is coming from people just like them. The average person does not have enough energy or money to keep up with the demands seen on TikTok or Instagram, and it can be unreasonable to scrutinize people for it. 

Mental Manipulation

Studies have shown that 20% of adults spend at least 40 hours a week on social media sites. A term known as “doom-scrolling” has been coined by creators online, referring to the endless and mindless viewing of short clips. While many people joke and deem this habit as harmless, it may have more serious effects than many think. This could cause problems in the brain, specifically within memory functions. This specific issue connects to a larger, less evident one in the social media climate. It seems as if society these days are very much aware of the downsides of social media. Acknowledging that it not only causes personalities that are too similar, or robotic for their own good; but affects the ability to form rational thoughts for ourselves, instead relying on random people to tell us what is “in” or “out” for the year. Somehow acknowledging and denying the problem, can only make it worse, showing evidence that following trends is indeed a negative habitat that we rely on due to comfortability.

Conclusion

Overall, addressing the negative implications connected with social media trends can allow people to realize that it has long-term effects on our ability to truly think and come up with opinions for ourselves. These problems can be mitigated however, by focusing on ourselves, and acknowledging our true emotions and how we wish to express ourselves, allowing us to feel more secure mentally, and in the long-run.

References

Cifelli, K. (2021, December 2). Social Media and How It Affects Our Self Image. Fau.edu; Florida Atlantic University. https://www.fau.edu/thrive/students/thrive-thursdays/ourselfimage/index.php

Korte, M. (2020). The impact of the digital revolution on human brain and behavior: where do we stand? Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 22(2), 101–111. National Library of Medicine. https://doi.org/10.31887/DCNS.2020.22.2/mkorte

Benita. (2024, March 13). How social media affects our self- perceptions - IMO. In My Opinion. https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/imo/uncategorised/how-social-media-affects-our-self-perceptions/