I remember the term "peer pressure" from when I was growing up; my parents would talk about it and warn of the dangers of bending under the (not inconsiderable) force it applied. The kids around me were doing all sorts of things, some dangerous and destructive, illegal and anti-social and at times I experienced pressure to follow along or join in.
I'm fortunate to have been raised to use my independent thought, to consider and weigh up the implications and ramifications of my actions and generally to have common sense; this, together with an understanding of right from wrong, helped me navigate the peer pressures I experienced and to say, screw you when it was applied rather than following on like a sheep.
I'm my own man.
What I mean is that from a young age I was comfortable standing apart or doing my own thing even if that didn't follow along with what was popular at the time or what the other kids were doing. Moving into adulthood, that turned into the ability to challenge myself, to stand when others fell or shied away from responsibility and to do what I needed and wanted to do even when those things weren't popular or easily done. I have achieved more, attained more, and had a more enjoyable and meaningful life because of it.
Complying and conforming
These days, it seems more popular for people to simply follow along with others, to defer to their "need" to fit in, not be seen as different or to go against the grain. I think this is one of the reasons people follow social media like sheep, are addicted to it, and use and embrace their individualism less and less. Complying and conforming seems to be a global epidemic, along with mediocrity and the fear of missing out...which I think lead people into doing things they should not be doing.
People seem to not want to stand out, not for the right reasons anyway.
They follow along with whatever concept or stupid "social media challenge" is popular at the time, spend as much time as they can scrolling through what others are doing rather than living their own life, and generally bow to the considerable pressure to conform and comply that is applied generally and in diverse ways...even though they say they're not.
Screw you
I believe people need to learn, memorise and apply that phrase.
I don't mean they should go around saying it to everyone, just that people should know when to say and think it internally when something comes up that isn't altogether good for them, wholesome or productive. The trick is knowing what those things are first though, something that many young people don't know how to do...and older people too.
Social media isn't social, it's a disease someone catches if they don't know how to say screw you to the propaganda, mind-mapping and pressures governments, corporations, marketers and individuals use to push their own agendas or to further their own gains.
Scrolling through the fake life of some girl on Instagram who does videos wearing a bikini to direct people to her subscription-based Onlyfans page, all of which is fake, doesn't seem very productive...I'd rather be living life with a hot girl who looks good in a bikini and wants to spend time with me living life as well. That makes sense right? (I think it does.)
What I'm trying to get at is the importance of living life as best as one can and I don't feel that that concept is found on social media and by deferring and complying to peer pressures or the FOMO mentality. You only get one life and wasting it seems...wasteful.
In the circles in which I mix people seek something more from their life, something special, meaningful and fulfilling. They actively seek it and actively minimise social media scrolling and the urge to conform to social convention.
No, they're not anti-social. No, they're not (all) anti-establishment nutjob preppers. No, they don't feel like they're missing out by not knowing what some Hollywood "celebrity" ate for dinner or where some fake Instagram girl with fake boobs went for a vacation...they feel like they're designing and creating legitimate, meaningful and engaged lives...I do the same, and it starts with saying screw you to the bullshit.
What do you reckon? Any thoughts you'd like to share? Want to call me a wanker and tell me to fuck off? You can do so in the comments below.
Design and create your ideal life, tomorrow isn't promised - galenkp
[Original and AI free]
Image(s) in this post are my own
We're fortunate to have experienced life without social media. No FOMO for me. I prefer to be an anti-establishment nutjob prepper.
You strike me as someone who knows what she wants and does not want, decisive and able to stand tall and comfortable within who you are; it's something so many do not have the ability to do.
Becca 🌷
Dunno about tall, I'm only 5ft1, but as for the rest, thanks Becca and right back at ya!
Like many people I know, and admire, and like me.
Some people find it hard to say "NO" and they are the one who get themselves immersed into social media addiction. They are not sure what is good for them and in process spoil themselves along with their close one to many extent. A mature person should understand what is good and what is bad for them and progress accordingly....
Why do you think people are so oblivious to what's good to them but so willing to accept and pursue what is not good for them? I think it might be partly due to a lack of self esteem and worth.
Becca 🌷
Hey, good to see you..🌹 ..self esteem is a factor..but.I think it is more due to isolated life they were forced to lead these days, they dont find anyone to share or talk and ultimately find solace in what's is not good to them...
I agree, unfortunately that inability to say no combined with the fear of missing out and the fear of standing out and apart from others leads people to a lot of bad choices like social media.
FOMO....this happens when they compare themselves with other...noone is satisfied and content with their life. And this is causing a lot turmoil
Indeed, and sadly those they're comparing to are often presenting themselves incorrectly, creating fake lives to present on social media. What a shit society we've created.
Well, I reckon most social media is like a designer drug. It is meant to get you hooked and coming back to it no matter the cost. All social media structures, to inlcude Hive are meant to do this in some way. I was one of those who became addicted to social media to an extent and had to just stop cold turkey for the most part. Once I started living life again to the BEST OF MY ABILITIES, social media turned into more of a tool that I used at MY discretion, rather than something I had to have.
More to the story, but it is why you don't see me around as much as you used to. That is intentional. I am living MY LIFE, not trying to keep up with some social media cliques definition of what my life should be.
In the end, I guess you are not neccessarily a wanker, and nor do you need to fuck off.
It's nice to read that life is going well and you're actively limiting and rejecting the unimportant and focusing on what's important.
I hope you're well and have a lovely family Christmas Joe.
Becca 🌷
Hey Becca, Good to see you. Yes, and I wish you the same as well.
I think there's a few reasonable use cases for social media but unfortunately most don't know how to set boundaries around usage and content and end up getting pulled into the "suck".
Not everyone has your discipline (or mine) and not everyone is content living their life because their life doesn't resemble the pretend lives on social media. They don't seem to have the individual thought needed to shape their lives. You obviously think the same.
Anyway, thanks for your comment. Had you come back with, "you're a wanker, so fuck off," I'd have had a laugh, and shared some lovely seasonal greetings right back at you, but that's not needed on this occasion. 😊
I hope y'all have a good festive season ahead and that you keep creating and living your life you way.
Social Media is Virtual Mental Syphilis.
It really is...
Mental V.D.
You have an interesting way with words, which indicates to me that you're an interesting person. It's a good thing you do not waste that on the undeserving on social media.
Becca 🌷
Haha! Funny, but sad because it's true.
Peer pressure can be subtle. Well, subtle-ish. Remember when everyone who dared express the slightest skepticism about COVID policies was called a hateful science-denying anti-vaxxer who wanted to see people die? That was peer pressure masquerading as compassion and concern. Now, the pendulum has swing politically, and skepticism toward Trump's immigration policy peans peer pressure to condemn you as a crime apologist gang supporter who wants drugs and a welfare state. People turn off their brains because the party peer pressure rewards compliance instead of consideration, and anyone not in is easy to identify as other, so mindless rage is the simplest response.
Indeed, it's not just a school thing and with social media the thumb sxres can be applied to those not towing the line on the popular propaganda of the day.
I've been slowly moving away from social media over the past several years. I still keep my account so I can stay in touch with some family members and friends, but most of the time someone will say "did you see on Facebook" and I will say no because I just don't spend that much time on those platforms.
That's sensible, leaves time for more important things.
Conform pressure happens since young age, since early school, already at primary school for example everyone does soccer as sport, in class they talk about it and so on, if you don't do it, you get excluded from the circle (I never liked it so I didn't do it)... At the next degree of school things worsen because it's the teen time and there enters the smoke, the drunk till vomit, what a weirdo or nerd if you don't follow the mass and do it! I remember I never found that smart to do, nor interesting...
Now in general, even for adults, the tendency is to follow others, don't stand and go against the stream, just follow it... An "expert" saying the shit is good and tasty? Then it is! Don't dare have a critic
As you say people follow girls on Instagram, then eventually go to onlyfans and pay aswell, because you know, everyone does that... Socials on web2 are a sure cause of dumbness but so are modern parents, giving screen at kids at 2 years so they stay quiet and give a social profile at 6 years because it uses like that
It's a strange world in which people work harder at being something they are not just because it's popular than to be themselves and to grow and develop into something better each day.
It's amazing how even in different countries school and kids act exactly the same generally. Good to hear you stayed out of it.
It wasn't easy as I was almost the only one, but I'm not a sheep
Standing apart from the masses is rarely easy, but in this case there's a lot to be gained.
I firmly believe that social networks were created for one purpose, to create dumb people, to have them gawking at a screen and not thinking for themselves, to have a herd to manage, as if they had their brains overridden.
I've always liked to be different and I've said fuck you since I was a child. I'm a freak and proud to use my brain cells with my own criteria.
Good to hear you feel that way, too many people get sucked into it though, sad...but avoidable.
If it can be avoided, but there are already many without brains... especially the young, very sad.
Heaps of brainless idiots indeed.
Indeed... what a future!
I agree with this narrative and opinion poll, it seems that it should be like that, self-control from social pressure and especially from social media is important, so that we grow and develop with our own identity.
Yes, but many seek to conform and end up not embracing their own personality, identity and ideology...which is why extremist groups find it so easy to radicalism people...the weak minded people who don't have their own identity and conform.
Kudos. Agreed.