Why Are We Putting Everything On The Internet ?! About Social Exhibitionism - Image, Society

2023 Author: Oswald Adamson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-27 12:13

Probably, today there are almost no people left who do not have an account in at least one of the social networks. Every modern smartphone has Internet access and pre-installed applications of the most popular social networks. It is almost impossible to refuse this unobtrusive invitation

Of course, everyone's social media activity is different. Someone has only a dozen close friends in their friends, and a couple of entries on the virtual wall. But there are real media stars on social networks, who have tens and hundreds of thousands of subscribers and who literally upload their every step to the network: “This is what I ate for breakfast”, “Here are my new shoes”, “This a beautiful view from my window "," But what a brilliant thought came to me."

When such a webcast of his life is arranged by some celebrity - a famous actor, athlete, entrepreneur, politician - it is still understandable. Popularity is a round-the-clock concept, there is never too much self-promotion. For celebrities, posting information about themselves on social networks is literally a job. They do it quite deliberately and purposefully, because popularity is easily converted into money.

But why do ordinary people need such "social media exhibitionism"?

Why lay out the details of your life on the network, for review by numerous anonymous authors ?! From a psychological point of view, there are two most likely explanations:

1. Our self-esteem is formed under the influence of many factors, one of which is self-presentation

Self-presentation is the ability to make a selective and controlled impression on other people. Simply put, it is important for us that other people see in us exactly what we want and are ready to show them.

If a person considers himself “rich and successful” (or wants to become one), then it is important for him that others see and confirm this. At the same time, the virtual world makes it possible to easily overcome the line between “being” and “appearing”. Expensive clothes and accessories can be rented, and a luxurious mansion in the background can be added with a photo editor. With the help of modern technology, you can easily portray such a "successful success" that any billionaire on the Forbes list will envy!

But even if we exclude obvious falsifications, any personal information that we post about ourselves on social networks is subject (knowingly or not) to "emotional censorship." In our messages, we always idealize, embellish ourselves and our lives. According to some studies, vacation photos are posted about ten times more often than photos in the "I'm at work" genre. We post moments of holidays (not unhappiness), smiling (not crying) children, ripe (not rotten) tomatoes. In general, we demonstrate to the whole world that everything is fine with us.

Why is this needed? Through this one-sided, positive self-presentation, we strengthen our self-esteem. And the lower this self-esteem initially, the more our activity in the virtual world will be. Is this good or bad? In moderate doses, it will pass for psychotherapy; raising your self-esteem a little is never harmful. But the virtual world is addictive, and if we are too carried away by creating and broadcasting illusions about our "beautiful life", then sooner or later this illusion will collide with reality. And instead of increasing self-esteem, this will result in her collapse and, possibly, develop into a neurotic disorder.

2. Today, social media is becoming a key mediator in love relationships

It is safe to say that the "market for brides and grooms" today is based on the Internet. In the USA in 2005-2012, serious sociological studies were carried out, according to which the share of marriages that began with acquaintance and communication on the Internet was 35%. For comparison: only 12% found their “soul mate” in the company of friends, and 14% at work. According to modern research, this figure exceeds 45-50%, and every year it is growing.

There are other global trends: marriages are concluded later and later, while the average length of a marriage is getting shorter. This means that there are more and more people “in active search”. The Internet is a convenient means for this very "search". This is not just about dating sites. One American study found that even after examining the profile of a person they like on a dating site, about 90% of people google more detailed information about that person. And, of course, her / his social media profiles are the most closely scrutinized.

It turns out that today personal pages on social networks are becoming a kind of "advertisement", the task of which is to attract a marriage / love / sexual partner. Attractiveness can be demonstrated in different ways. Women emphasize romance, style and beauty; a little less often for economy and practicality. Men demonstrate brutality, skill, financial / material viability.

The degree of "social exhibitionism" here can be different, since aesthetic taste and ideas about the limits of decency among people differ greatly. "Demonstration of oneself" can be very subtle, or it can resemble a ridiculous freak show, which is then analyzed into Internet memes. Like languid beauties on the background of carpets ("rural glamor") or "brutal macho" with a naked torso, a dagger / pistol in his hands, lined with five-thousandth bills.

It is obvious that social networks are just a tool in the "marriage market", a convenient way to "advertise" yourself in search of a loved one. It would be foolish not to use this tool, unless we must remember that “like attracts like”. That is, the quality of the people whose attention you attract will depend on the quality of what you report about yourself. And don't forget about safety! By posting too much personal information about yourself, do not forget that this information can be used against you.