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EIGHTEEN

THE OBSERVER EFFECT IN SCIENCE

The cost of being gazed upon is a significant aspect to consider. I avoid being around people who do not uplift me or hold a high opinion of me. When you surround yourself with individuals who do not hold you in high regard, you become aware of how they perceive you based on the image they have in their minds. People tend to rise to the standards set by others. This leads us to question the true impact of another's gaze on our human and soulful existence, both online and offline. If we accept the validity of the Observer Effect, which suggests that the human eye can influence, adjust, and alter outcomes, we must examine the effects of daily scrutiny on Social Media. How does the constant gaze, or observation of others shape our lives? 

In psychology, the concept of the observer effect refers to the phenomenon of people's behavior changing when they are aware of being observed. Merely looking at something has the power to alter it. We tend to behave differently when we know we are being watched. A prime example is how people or animals behave when left to their own devices. Consider the act of eating. Individuals often have different eating habits when alone compared to when dining out. When was the last time you meticulously arranged your cutlery, folded your napkin on your lap, or adhered to proper etiquette principles when dining alone? In contrast, at a nice restaurant, these behaviors become automatic. 

Ultimately the Observer Effect has the ability to distort our perception of the world and shape our overstanding of reality. We often overlook the distortion caused by observation when evaluating someone's behavior. We tend to see their actions as representative of their entire life. However, the truth is we all modify our behavior when we know we are being observed. Taking our restaurant example further, consider your own behavior when you are alone at home. Are you always on your best behavior? To develop a better overstanding of others, we must take into account how we ourselves are influenced by the Observer Effect. Observing things changes them, and certain phenomena only exist when observed.

Therefore, before passing judgment on someone's behavior, it is worth asking whether their actions are influenced by being observed or if they are behaving naturally. People are inevitably influenced by being watched, and it leads us to act differently.

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