Social media has become an important aspect of the current world with the most popular site being Facebook. I have a Facebook account with 1123 and 276 followers. The number of known friends and those that I know is almost equally as I sometimes accept friend requests from strangers, not to mention that I also request for friendships with people I hardly know online. The purpose of this essay is to compare my appearance online with my real personality. I am an extrovert who uses social media to keep in touch with my social ties and not because am an internet addict, even though some online appearances may portray me as a completely different person as most people will tend to associate a huge number of online friends with popularity and low esteem issues.
Some of the appearances online reflects my real personality in real life. The internet has at times caused me to be late or bumpy on several occasions, even though I would not consider myself to be an internet addict. Internet addiction occurs when individuals are unable to stop using Facebook, even when it becomes a problem in their daily routine (Zuo 3). On numerous occasions, I stay up late chatting online with friends, even when I have to get up early the next day. Most mornings are those that I wake up to view my friend’s profiles online as well as get enlightened and inspired. My reasons for using Facebook in the early hours is because Facebook disseminates large amount of information in real time. Viewing other people’s profiles online has a direct impact on my self-esteem. Too much exposure to other people’s positive representations can lead one to feel deprived or inadequate (Raymer 6). I constantly use the profiles from other people to compare myself with others in the world or at least those who I think are on the same level with me. This habit has negative effects on my self-esteem. Sometimes I feel like others are better than me, and I often go the extra mile to measure up. I am therefore very careful about the photos that I post online as well as those which I am tagged in. Viewing happy photos of other online users sometimes make me feel that others are happier than me.
Some appearances online also portrays me as a completely different person. I am an extrovert who uses social media as a way of maintaining my social ties. I frequently log on to my social media accounts and am constantly looking to add new friends. Social media sites give the poor the chance to become richer (Raymer 7). Introverts and people with a lower self-esteem tend to compensate for their sense of belonging from connections made online. Most people might, therefore, mistake for an introvert in real life, but that is not the case. Comparisons made online also have a positive impact on personality (Zuo 5). In certain instances, I view certain profiles, which inspire me to be a better person. To my friends, all they see is a sympathetic person who never ceases to comfort those in trouble, but the truth is would never allow myself to be in their shoes.
In conclusion, my online appearance is a reflection of my extravert nature and outgoing nature, although it is likely to give people the impression that I am an introvert. I often spend a relative amount of time on social media but not enough to make me an internet addict. I have numerous friends, some of whom I know little about. I perceive the possession of many friends as a sign of popularity, and my outgoing nature. I use social media to maintain my social ties, and not because being an introvert in real life.
Works cited
Raymer, Christine. "The effects of social media sites on self esteem." Theses and Dissertations. 2015. Web. <http://rdw.rowan.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1283&context=etd>.
Zuo, Angie. "Measuring up; Social comparisons on facebook and contributions to self esteem and mental health." Thesis. n.d. Web. <https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/107346/zuo.finalthesis.pdf>.
