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Statement of Purpose

Social media is something that is so intrinsically mixed into our society that oftentimes its effects on us go completely unnoticed, every time you interact with someone new the conversation usually at some point will culminate in asking for their Instagram, Snapchat, or any other social media. But how does this constant reliance on social media to form our connections affect us mentally? And how does the constant flaunting of lavish lifestyles and “perfect lives” online affect how we see ourselves and our self-image? While it is true that social media in a sense has made us more connected than ever before, that connectivity did come at a price. While it is now possible to talk to friends and family across the globe, the constant over-exposure to information can not only lead to problems regarding false information about current events but also lead to physiological and physical changes in the human brain. Additionally, constantly individuals living lavish lifestyles and being seemingly perfect can often lead to us continuously comparing ourselves to those online, without making the realization that this idea of perfection is simply what they as influencers are conveying to the audience and not necessarily what is happening in reality. This combination of overexposure to mindless content, constant influxes of information whether real or not, and lastly the constant comparison to others can often culminate in extremely negative effects on one's mental health in regards to mental health. These types of negative experiences often force us to look for other individuals who have undergone or are undergoing these same experiences, and while that may be somewhat helpful to categorize yourself to connect with others, in reality, if two many people form a conglomerate of these negative ideas or emotions it can often lead to something destructive and detrimental almost like crabs in a bucket. A disturbingly good example of this can be found in the video “Encouraging the Young to Die - The Most Toxic Site I've Ever Seen.” People usually interested in things like music or specific artists would be attracted to a website with multiple forums however as they got deeper and deeper into the vicious cycle of comparing themselves to something unattainable all the while relating themselves to labels that normalize sadness and mental illness they found themselves surrounded with individuals who push them on to do something truly horrifying. In short, social media is something that can be considered almost like a double-edged sword. While it is true that It has greatly connected our society making us no longer restricted by things like distance and time to be able to communicate with one another. In reality, our society paid great lengths to foster this communication, as social media inevitably traps young men and women into a cycle of comparing themselves to influencers who are pushing forward a brand of being perfect and unattainable all the while also providing many destructive ways to characterize oneself all while glorifying and promoting mental illness making it seem as something cool or desirable for one's personality, when in reality all that is happening is that these young individuals are getting sucked in deeper and deeper into the trap that is social media.

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Encouraging the Young to Die - The Most Toxic Site I've Ever Seen (My own piece)

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3 Scholarly articles from my own research

*https://jerkmagazine.net/9mfehhs6kt2vag7aqn19w0hd2b5dka/2022/10/31/j34dktnlyqfp72hlw1kbijuh28x2kp

*https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2023/04/18/how-does-social-media-affect-mental-health-pros-and-cons-explained/11680198002/

*https://bmcpsychology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40359-023-01243-x

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"Overstimulation is Ruining Your Life" (visual text #1)

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"The Simple Reason Why Social Media is RUINING Your Life | Jordan Peterson"

(visual text #2)

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(Nothaft, Delaney.)

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(Scott, Catie.)

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