their appearance, the researchers reported.
“I personally think it’s highly alarming,” Reilly says. “This is not healthy behavior.”
He thinks social media can damage self-esteem if people are constantly comparing themselves to others.
“You can go on Facebook and quickly compare yourself to 50 people in five minutes, and all of them are posting their best selves,” Reilly adds. “That can lead to a lot of insecurity and self-esteem issues.”
Hamrah agrees.
“It is not so much the actual social media usage that motivates patients to seek cosmetic surgery, rather than their low self-esteem and self-worth that is exacerbated by an upward social comparison, referring to a comparison made against those perceived to have superior characteristics,” Hamrah points out.
“Studies have shown that when you post a photo of yourself, your self-esteem drops, regardless of whether you were able to alter that digital photo or not,” Reilly notes.
Having a healthy relationship with selfies and social media
Social can be great for a lot of things, but it can also lead to low self-esteem. Whether you are taking selfies for social media or your own personal use, it’s important to remember that perfection doesn’t exist. You should never compare yourself to someone else. According to research, 80% of girls have used a filter or an app to edit the way they look in their photos by the time they are 13. Secondly, remember to embrace your uniqueness and what makes you, special. If all else fails, try creating boundaries between yourself and whatever is hurting your self-esteem. Take the time to think about how these sites and apps are making you feel.
“If you find that looking at certain types of media makes you feel worse about yourself, that’s an indication that you need to remove that media input from your repertoire,” Reilly concludes.