Fact or Fiction: Lies in Social Media
Written by Hal Gray, Former Student on Thursday, December 3, 2015
I don’t use Instagram. I’m not an instagrammer, and I don’t instagrate. That being said, as a strapping young man in high school, I’ve experienced enough of social media to have a basic understanding of it. According to the New York Times, many young people on Instagram have not one, but two Instagram profiles. The first, their main account, is where they share the more picturesque moments of their life. The second is usually only known to a select few close friends and/or family. This second account can be a more accurate version of the person’s life or a parody, which is an account made for laughs.
What these “Finstagrams” all have in common is a desire for privacy, which means the social media has now come full circle. Once created to be connected, and to share with others, it is now being used to avoid that very thing. In an age where our daily lives are broadcast to everyone who follows us, and our choices and opinions can be judged and\or berated by anyone with an internet connection, people now look for an escape from the eyes of others. These kinds of secret profiles are not protecting people, however, but leading to online backstabbing, with “trusted” friends screenshotting things best left unseen and sharing them for all to view.
While not new, social media has grown exponentially since its inception, and Instagram, now in its fifth year, is emerging as one of the most popular networks, with over half of all teens connected to the internet having an account. This has lead companies to invest in a new kind of advertising targeted specifically aimed at young people, by using young people themselves. Essena O'Neil, a popular young Australian model on Instagram, recently revealed that she had been paid massive amounts of Australian money by name brand companies to wear their products, use their make-up, and essentially, sell their products. The model described how she would often take over 100 pictures until she was satisfied with the result, and how companies paid her up to 2000 AUD to use their products in her photos.
All in all, it seems Instagram may be less fact and more fiction. The problem is, this may be more harmful than it appears. in a recent study, it was found that 6.7% of American teens suffer from depression. Currently, it is the leading disability in young people, and some are pointing the finger at social media. Over 1/2 of all teenagers connected to the internet are on Instagram, and now more than ever, the pressure to be perfect weighs heavily on teenagers shoulders.
