Facebook, Instagram... and the summer that you're missing

Photos of Instagram taken on the beaches of Formentera, incredible images of the holidays spent in London, some selfies taken at the fashion macro festivals...

Let's face it: the interest is not so much in the beauty of what is seen as in the fact of being able to say: “I've been there!”. We use the social media as if they were an extension of our body and, as such, we project ourselves into them trying to offer the best possible image. The problem comes, many times, when you see that what others teach is more attractive than what you can teach. Could it be that Instagram and Facebook are boosting the feeling of envy?

Question of self-perception

This was discussed in the article by FOMO syndrome: new technologies and the digital age they lead to a general fear of not living life intensely as (it seems) others do. However, on vacation, this can become more acute.

One only has to see the degree to which the photographs of the most expensive destinations and the most exclusive locations are viralized. Let's add another ingredient to this cocktail: the most famous and richest people have the most followers on social media. But if even Twitter or Instagram suggests that we follow them when we have not yet launched our new user account!

Although it may seem strange, this may mean that being subjected to a continuous burst of ideal summery images make us feel pressured to achieve experiences comparable to what we see... precisely when these images usually convey fun, relaxation and freedom to do what is wanted.

In part, this is what makes them join us more and more. technological supports that allow you to take pictures anywhere and in almost any condition: smartphones with good built-in cameras, underwater cameras, selfie sticks, etc. A moment not immortalized by means of a photograph is like a moment not lived, because it cannot be shared massively on social networks.

But the problem with this is not just that we are missing a camera at the right time: is that we need those moments to occur in the desired quantity and in the required quantities. It is not enough to experience pleasant sensations and situations: in addition, those experiences that we live they have to be able to be photographed and they have to be able to be recognized by others as something to to envy. People will be more impressed with Iguazu Falls than with some photos taken in a massif in Antarctica, even if the latter is your favorite destination for this vacation.

Facebook and envy

To what extent is it true that seeing how well others are having through social media makes us feel bad? Certainly, it is a somewhat diffuse subject and not too easy to approach scientifically, but there is some evidence that reinforces this idea.

For example, a study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: GeneralIt shows in its results that you passively use Facebook for a few minutes (scroll vertically to see the publications that others are posting) enhances the feeling of envy and thereby decreases emotional well-being.

Other research published in PLOS ONE reached similar results, and added another interesting fact: face-to-face interactions did not have the same effects on subjective well-being as interactions via Facebook. In fact, they made the participants in the experiment feel better, the opposite of what happened with the use of the social network.

Therefore, this would serve to reject the hypothesis that people feel bad about any form of social interaction. The envy and relative discomfort that the use of Facebook seems to have would be part of the consequences that involves exposing yourself to images and messages that others have filtered to offer a desirable image of them themselves.

And it is that, in fact, there is a very negative part in the use of the networks: "Depersonalization and (in) communication in social networks"

The doses of Instagram and Facebook, with awareness and in the right measure

Solutions not to go through this? The binomial Facebook - envy It could have deep roots considering the power we have in shaping the image of ourselves that we want to give on the Internet. In addition, there does not seem to be much research in this regard, so it is difficult to know what is the best strategy to deal with this.

However, the likely and most intuitive solution is in take the use of Instagram, Twitter and other digital platforms with philosophy. On the one hand, we can remind ourselves that to believe that what we are seeing is representative of the lives of others would be to be deceived. On the other hand, we could, for example, also take a “vacation” from social networks. In this way, it is likely that many more stimulating experiences will come our way, even without looking for them.