Scrolling through Instagram after a long gap (nothing much changed, the same kind of posts from regulars), I glanced at a post about which I will tell you in a while. This is 2022, and over the two bygone years, social media has well outgrown the raison d’etre for its emergence, that is “connectivity”. Now it is a potential tool to find you new jobs, bring you the top news of the day, crack you with memes and trolls, pontificate your thoughts or even find your prince or princess charming.
No only that, your profile reflects your “social media personality”. That said, is there such a thing as a “social media personality” distinct from your real self? Unfortunately, most users project an image of themselves which is far removed from their true self.
Over the years, the cosmetics and skincare industries have seen a boom in India, and all are in a rat race to attain that perfect look. Ironically, people use social media platforms to vouch for body positivity, embrace humanism, accommodate people who are different from the rest and so on. Sadly, most of these are just to gather social approval and are too hollow in spirit. For instance, as I was swiping through the stories, my eyes got stuck on a post shared by someone I know personally. The post was all about treating LGBTQIA+ on a par with others. What unsettled me was not the post but the person who posted it as she was the one who made a comment obliquely against transgender people. The similitude was unsettling.
Again, we do endorse, applaud, vociferously speak, write and share on public platforms “embracing our flaws” kind of posts. I’m all for it. But it is a fact that many of us hardly live up to it. We see that staying positive, and most important, “contented” is far from attained in the digital world. Studies have, time and again, shown that popular sites such as Snapchat and Instagram take a toll on the mental health of teenagers, pushing them to low self-esteem, unhealthy anxiety and even depression.
Above all, it compels us to don the cloak of certain stereotypes that are acceptable in the social (media) circle or are “instagrammable”. Well, we are social animals and no one likes to be left alone. Therefore, we desperately try to fit in and trade our ideals in social media for the sake of public appeal. This is why my transphobic friend uploaded a trans-friendly post. This is also why even the purported “self-lovers” start loathing themselves to the core. While the first scenario seems apathetic, the second is pathetic.
As a wise Instagram sadhu somewhere said, editing your photos without editing your inner self is of little help. Well, it’s up to you to decide what and how to post, but the question is do you post for your happiness or to win the hearts of the social media community. So the next time you and I post an edited #flawsome or #imperfectlyperfect photo, let us introspect if we truly love it sans filters or edits. If the answer is in the affirmative, then congratulations! You got through the litmus test of originality.
Having said that, I would like to raise a toast to all those authentic souls out there who have uncompromisingly stayed raw and real in the virtual world. Let us follow their trail.
sooryamariya@gmail.com
