Social media platforms have grown popular in the past few years and they give you the opportunity to interact and connect with people from all over the world – at the comfort of your home. 

However, they can also give you the perception that everyone’s life is perfect, except yours, and that can cause your confidence to take a knock. But does it have to? Here are 4 ways that social media can affect your confidence.

Focusing on likes

Getting a lot of love on your pictures can make you feel good, but once you start focusing on the number of likes you get, it’s easy for you to feel like you’re not good enough. Checking your phone constantly increases anxiety and makes you obsess about whether people are liking what you’re posting or not.

If you notice yourself becoming obsessed with the number of likes or compliments your posts get, then maybe you should take some time off social media. The amount of ‘likes’ you get on a post don’t say anything about you as a person. You can get 1000 like and not have any of those people even know who you are – or 1 like and have many healthy relationships in your life. Don’t put too much weight on likes Choma. 

Trying to be flawless

Seeing how perfect your favourite celebrities or influencers are can make you feel bad about how you look, and that can affect your confidence. 

It’s important to remember that nobody is perfect – including your favourite celeb. So, instead of trying to look flawless, rather embrace who you are and love yourself as you are.

Unrealistic beauty standards

Social media has a tendency of promoting unrealistic beauty standards and it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking you’re not as beautiful as everyone you see on your timeline.

Remember, photos can be edited so not everything you see is a reflection of reality. So don’t compare yourself to filters, photoshop and beauty apps. Love the mirror, forget the screen. 

Relying on other people’s validation

Social media allows you to express yourself by giving you the opportunity to share your thoughts and opinions with anyone who is willing to engage with you. Sometimes what you say or post won’t get a positive response and that can be really upsetting. However, it’s important to focus on what those around you think about you, and not what those online think about you.

There’s a lot that you can enjoy and learn on social media, but it’s also easy to become caught up in the ego-driven part of it. Remember to always stay true to yourself and don’t believe everything you see online, because life online is edited and people choose to show you only what they want you to see. 

Do you think social media has the power to affect your confidence? Leave a comment below and tell me your thoughts.

Remember, if you or a friend need advice or help, you can contact me here on Ask Choma, send me a Facebook Message, a Twitter DM, or a WhatsApp Message (071 172 3657).