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FORTY

IDEALIZED SELF

The impact of Social Media on the Digital Soul’s identity and self-perception is a critical issue. The pursuit of likes and followers on Social Media platforms profoundly shapes one's Digital Soul and transcends self-perception of one's real-world self.

It is not abnormal for one to measure their value based on the quantity of online validation they receive, which can lead to a distorted sense of self. I relentlessly hustle on Instagram and often document my growth on the platforms, as I closed my real-world business and Instagram has literally become my business – thus driving traffic is essential. No different than when I had a bricks and mortar commercial real estate office. It is easy to view your online following as a community and twist up your self worth in it but in reality, if your page is your actual friends and family, it is going to be a small number – anyone’s would. And if you are on there to grow a business, know they are not your friends nor your family. Yes, your following can feel like a community but at the end of the day they will come and go; some will fall in love with you then fall out of love with you, or fall off if you change the content offered, AND that’s just business. Your follow count and analytics can let you know if your “business” online is thriving, but they do not dictate if you as a human are thriving. Ultimately, at the end of the day, they are business contacts – they aren’t your best friends. This is no different than if you had a job serving at a restaurant – you are not ranking your value based on the people you served dinner to. This distinction is important when growing on Instagram. Growth is important for business gains and business development, but growth is not important to validate yourself and your self-love or determination of your self-worth.

If you mix these two up, you can fall into the trap of getting sucked into being “The Idealized Self.”

There's an intense pressure to present an idealized image to the world to please others, which can create a disconnect between one's true self and their Digital Soul aka online persona. This discrepancy can lead to issues of authenticity and authenticity-related stress. No one is perfect, nor should you want to be. Your aim in life is to be in alignment with who you are and what you decide you want to be; it is not to be perfect. 

Equating Social Media validation with personal value can have serious psychological implications, including heightened anxiety, lowered self-esteem, and identity confusion. Identity confusion is a natural byproduct of Social Media platforms when you fragment yourself into multiple versions.

This new reality calls into question the foundation of our personal narratives: Are we living our true lives, or are we adapting our stories for mass consumption?

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