Self Portrayal is an Important Topic that is Affecting Most on Social Media as well as in their Mental Health State

No matter how old one can be, self-portrayal is something that affects one while using social media. 

“We define social network sites as web-based services that allow individuals to (1) construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, (2) articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and (3) view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system. The nature and nomenclature of these connections may vary from site to site."

Social networking sites are center stage in today’s world. People nationwide are using various examples of these sites to share their personal lives with others around them in the media world. Whether it’s writing a status on Facebook, a tweet on twitter, or sharing a photo on Instagram or Snapchat, just to name a few, our lives are being seen by everyone around us through this world we call social media.

The concept of presenting our ideal selves versus our real selves has become more and more prevalent on social media.

The element of self-portrayal is something that has become an important concept. We want to show our best selves to the ones who are viewing our profiles, whether it be for social gain or gain in the career world. “As the use of social media continues to evolve; the concept of presenting our ideal selves versus our real selves has become more and more prevalent on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, Pinterest, and even LinkedIn."

These two alter egos as some would call it give off a confusing take about what social media is really about, and how self portrayal really changes what you would post on a certain site depending on what you want to get out of it.

I interviewed David Levine, a licensed attorney who grew up during the rise of social media. He gives his take about how others represent themselves on social media when they are looking to get a job working for his firm.

I took a survey that was directed towards mostly the undergraduate age. In it I asked questions pertaining to portrayal on social media.

When asked which social media platform the surveyed felt most comfortable posting on, the results are as follows.

It’s alarming how many of the people surveyed chose Instagram rather than any of the other social media platforms. I would have chosen Instagram as well for my social media platform that I feel most comfortable using.

When it comes to using your social media, most use their best judgment in making sure their posts put them in a good light.

With the abundance of sites that people use to connect, there comes an element of media ethics that one should follow when using them. Ethics have to do with moral principles. And morals have to do with a person’s ideals of right and wrong. When it comes to using your social media, most use their best judgment in making sure their posts put them in a good light. Depending on what site they are on depends on how formal or informal the post may be. Facebook, Instagram and snapchat may be more informal while LinkedIn would be extremely formal. However it’s important to make sure what you post will not get you into trouble. Everything on the internet is there forever. Here are two examples of photos. One is a photo that shows good public relations, while the other is something one may not want to post in the event that a company may see it in the future.

“Mass communication and social media are key, and building mutual understanding and good relationships is emphasized as much as is influencing public opinion” (Converging Media 275). Public opinion is important for businesses more than personal wealth, but building a good relationship with those around in the social media world is something that you as a user can benefit from in the long run.

A social media user is going to put out their messages in a completely different way depending on the platform they use, as well as the ones who would view it. Blogs as well as twitter follow a mass-communication through interpersonal communication model. Viewers can interact at the touch of a mouse (Converging Media 25). Some of the sites have a more formal feel to them while others are more informal. From a personal account, Facebook and twitter may be considered informal, but if they are being used from a business account they have to be more formal. That can be said about LinkedIn, except your account has to be formal because it is a business site.

So if you are looking to appeal to a certain demographic you may post things in a different way.

For some who are not looking to appeal to others who they wish to be hired by, they are posting for pure enjoyment. Using informal social media sites where online friends can only view their statuses and photos is a common way to use free expression. However some may be insecure about what they post, in the fear that not all will approve. I took a survey and the results are as follows.

Some even feel that social media has given them another place to feel insecure about. This is enough to lead to depression.

More than not, people have admitted to feeling insecure while posting on social media. In today’s world, magazines are influencing the ways some people see themselves. There is this stereotypical model of how people should look, and that has led to eating disorders and other mental disorders as well. This is serious. But these magazines that have skinny models are not the only place where people are getting this image. Some even feel that social media has given them another place to feel insecure about. This is enough to lead to depression. In another survey I display the results of people surveyed who know of someone who has developed a mental illness due to social media.

The effects of self-portrayal on social media on mental health are something that should not go unnoticed. “Those who said their lives had been worsened by using social media also reported feeling less confident when they compared their achievements against their friends." The usage is not likely to end anytime soon regardless of the negative impacts it has on ones personal self.

Pressures of the environment around us are what keep us from doing certain things. One may or may not post something because of what others will say, because influence is so strong.

Social media has changed how we see ourselves. With the development of likes, as well as the accessibility of others to be able to see what we post, the effects change depending on person to person. We will change what we post depending on what platform we use. And there are different ways to be successful in the media world.