More Likes, Less Me? : Social Media’s Real Impact on Our Image

How is social media really shaping us and the way we look and think? Are those double-taps on Instagram really worth it? Understand more as we learn the life of a typical teenager of India, Sarita Das’s, experience on social media and how it impacts her; understand her stance of, “I hate it but i want to fit in."

As the morning sun filters through the curtains, Sarita starts her day by moisturizing her face and lips. Following that, she fits into her neatly ironed school uniform - a crisp olive green t-shirt with her school emblem shining on her chest.

She slides her feet into a pair of plain black laced shoes and gets ready for school with her almost-knee length skorts. Not to forget, she always carries a lip gloss in her bag and slips one before she hops on the bus. As she gets into the bus, she looks around with her eyes narrowed and brows raised; she doesn’t want others to be glaring at her for any longer than a second.

Her skin is of a light brown complexion, almost golden under the sun’s mighty gaze. Dimples adorn her cheeks and her lean body makes her shirt look puffy. She’s always concerned about other’s opinions. “I want to keep up with the trends. I can’t really manage to be made fun of by my friends,” saying this, she offers a smile which doesn’t quite reach her eyes.

Is it peer pressure that she experiences?

“I wouldn’t say it’s peer pressure that I feel but I want to feel validated by......to be honest, everyone. Social media creates such a high standard, I hate it but I want to fit in”

A part of Sarita’s lip care collection

What standards does social media really create?

“I always carry a laneige lip care, a comb, and an eyeliner along with me. Yeah, I do want to fit in but I’d also say that these give me confidence.”

This time she offers a smile with more definition and clarity.

The truth is, almost every teenager feels the need to fit in on social media. Those double - taps really, truly matter. Or, do they?

Sarita posts on social media at least twice a week, with carefully curated posts that balance

casual selfies with just the right amount of effort.

It’s very normal to feel the need to fit in. Even psychologists verify this.

"In Psychology, we refer to it as the tribal mentality. Kids feel they need to be part of a tribe, they need to be part of something. We have found out that people who isolate themselves too much have developmental problems."

Very interestingly, the way girls perceive the idea of fitting in is completely different from that of boys. Many studies show that 32% of girls feel pressured about their body image compared to 19% of boys feeling pressured.

Along with peer pressure, social media also has various different impacts on teens - negative and positive. Ranging from distraction to assertion and comfort; Social media

is a vast chain connecting so many teens, adults, etc. around the globe. So is social

media all about negativity along with peer pressure?

The first step to finding that out could be by analyzing what different teens think.

Behind the screen : Finding how social media impacts teen boys and girls in different ways.

I also went ahead and asked them their thoughts about social media. Here's what they had to say:

"I use a fixed portion of my time on social media, so I wouldn't say that it is like a distraction for me. It's more like a learning experience, if used in a proper way. I mostly use social media for my learning and inspiration."

"Social media connects people but also spreads false information. It's useful, but it can be misleading."

"Social media has a powerful impact on our lives, both positively and negatively. On one hand, it connects us with people across the world, provides instant access to information and offers platforms for self-expression and creativity. However, it can also affect our mental health by creating unrealistic standards, fuelling comparison and increasing feelings of anxiety, loneliness, or low self-worth. The constant exposure to curated lives and highlight reels can make us feel like we're falling behind, even when we're doing fine."

"I think it impacts my life very positively because my feed is about fitness meaning motivation, which allows me to regularly do the things I'm supposed to for maintaining a healthy body. Sometimes it allows me to fit my friend circle in by telling them the jokes I heard on social media and so on. I think that social media depends on the person that uses it. Sometimes it's taken negatively by doomscrolling and not doing the work, and sometimes it's taken positively by ensuring motivation and helping somebody getting the job done."

As you can see, each teen’s perspective of how social media affects them is different and their way of perceiving it is different as well.

What makes teens so engaged in social media though? What do they post?

Well, research suggests that roughly half of all teenagers engage in sharing content on the internet where- a notable amount (45%) occasionally post selfies, and plenty (16%) do so quite every day. 50% share personal and inside jokes in their friend groups online, using content meant only for their closest peers. Meanwhile, four out of ten teens (about 42%) frequently post whereabouts, about their location and activities and 41% post/share videos that they've recorded with funny or relatable content. 29% of teens and adolescents, aim for their uploads to go viral and receive recognition. Amidst this a commendable amount of teens– about half or more quite barely or never share and upload these types of updates on social media.

Finding Balance

It's clear that social media is tough to categorize solely into a negative or a positive spectrum as, it is vast and provides both connection and pressure.

However, one thing is certain - it has a very strong influence. Teens such as Sarita experience the impact of influence in their lives, where there's a constant need for approval at all times, discarding one’s true well-being. From the chase of the "perfect" selfie to the quiet obsessions over follower numbers and likes, the online world can give birth to an environment where validation from others becomes one’s sole purpose in life, costing them their true identity and inner peace.

However, amidst the pros and cons of social media, comes the balance.

A balanced use of social media is when one can use social media constructively and gather the content positively. One should be able to avoid destructive media that forms insecurities.

“According to me, everyone is pretty and beautiful. The beauty standards online aren’t convincing for all and pretty privilege is still real,” Sarita says as her eyes shine with a bright and focused intensity.

For Sarita the feeling of being validated matters, but she also believes that in order for us to find a balance with social media, we must as people, become better and always try to find a common ground with every person, because that’s when change really starts.

It’s very important to understand when the content online is healthy or not. As Sarita mentions, the path to a robust relationship with social media lies not just in individual self-control, but in a collective understanding of peace.

Finding a balance? Quite simple. Once you stop comparing your flawed and messy lives to the “perfect” and filtered fantasy lives online.

Wallah! you have found peace in who you are and what you are.

Written by Adrika Changmai

Adrika wrote this article as a participant of the Media-Makers Fellowship's May'25 cohort.