Visibility

We live in a society drowned in images. A society that deforms and reshapes our bodies according to the criteria of beauty it conveys. It spreads ideals through the media and social networks. The image and the notion of self-love are corrupted. The society in which we live has altered our perception of the world is vitiated. Our bodies are saturated with altered representations. A society in which your body has a place if it conforms to the submissive model. The perception of our body is distorted by the time we spend comparing and looking at ourselves. A 2019 study by statisticia shows that we spend an average of 153 minutes a day on social networks.

Instagram is one of the networks used today. On this platform we post photos and short videos. Hundreds of images are scrolling by every day. Instagram exposes many ideal but unreal bodies. We evolve in a society dedicated to appearances. We want to be noticed. A way to prove our existence. When we post a picture we don't think about the effect it might have on others. Especially on the younger generations (teenagers and young adults) who are still looking for themselves, some are more fragile than others and complex.

It is during adolescence that society sexualizes us. This gendered and capitalist society bases its functioning on reproduction. It is sometimes difficult to find one's bearings and to identify oneself. Many societies are built according to imposed dictates. Most images are retouched by filters and software.

Some people develop mental illnesses such as depression.

Social networks are legally accessed at 13 years of age. This age marks the beginning of adolescence. It is a period when we build ourselves up and when we are influenced and therefore influenced by what we are exposed to.

“We found a substantial increase in major depression or suicidal thoughts, psychological distress, and more attempted suicides after 2010, versus the mid-2000s, and that increase was by far the largest in adolescents and young adults,” said lead author Jean Twenge, author of the book “iGen” and professor of psychology at San Diego State University. “These trends are weak or non-existent among adults 26 years and over, suggesting a generational shift in mood disorders instead of an overall increase across all ages.”

In 2019, a research published by the American Psychological Association, found sharp increases in the number of young adults and adolescents who reported experiencing negative psychological symptoms. it coincides with the emergence of social networks in the 2010's . Mental health problems have increased dramatically over the past decade and the rise of digital media could be one of the reasons, according to the survey.

“We found a substantial increase in major depression or suicidal thoughts, psychological distress, and more attempted suicides after 2010, versus the mid-2000s, and that increase was by far the largest in adolescents and young adults,” said lead author Jean Twenge, author of the book “iGen” and professor of psychology at San Diego State University.

In March 2018, it was reported that more than a third of Generation Z in a survey of 1,000 people said they were leaving social media for good; 41% said that social media platforms made them feel anxious, sad or depressed.

An obvious solution to this problem is to reduce screen time. The 2017 neuroscience study by the Royal Society for Public Health, conducted on Facebook, showed that individuals who use social networks excessively are less affected than drug addicts or gamblers. A data tracking application asks its 1 million users every week whether they are happy or sad about the time they have spent on different platforms. Nearly 63% of Instagram users say they are unhappy, a higher proportion than for any other social network. On average, they spend almost an hour a day on the application. The 37% who are happy spend an average of just over half the time.

for our mental health we need to take a step back and reduce our screen time. Let's take better advantage of real life and what it has to offer.

juliette Joo