Why Social Media Influencers May Be Raising Anxiety Levels Among Women
Just 20 years ago, the title of this post might have been indecipherable. Today, it’s the norm. Sure, there have always been plenty of famous and influential people — especially since television became a thing — but we’re in another stratosphere now. Everyone has a brand and a carefully curated social media page, especially when it comes to influencers and content creators.
For women, this means more exposure to trendy information about diets, workouts, fashion, and finance. However, influencers often edit out anything that doesn’t fit their brand (angles, poses, makeup, filters, etc.) to produce a flawless-looking result. Viewers are left chasing impossible standards and expectations. It's no wonder anxiety is on the rise among women of all ages.
Why Social Media Influencers May Be Raising Anxiety Levels Among Women
Perfection is so enticing that we ignore the obvious illusions. The life that influencers claim to be living can cause us to suspend disbelief and leave us feeling inadequate. We wonder why we haven’t figured out the paths to “success.”
Even when we know about the editing and. careful curation, we come away feeling self-doubt and dissatisfaction. Behind this is a history of women being held to unrealistic standards. The influencer effect may lead to:
A cycle of comparison: We walk around with supercomputers in our pockets. These machines can offer us glimpses at people who have seemingly figured out much more than we have. Considering the long-standing social pressure on women, it’s difficult to resist making negative self-comparisons.
Fear of missing out (FOMO): Influencers appear to be on the cutting edge of fashion, slang, and other trends. Women may feel anxious about being left in the dust if they don’t allocate copious amounts of time to staying engaged.
Culture of productivity: Boss Girl and Super Moms are just two of the many ways women can get caught up on an anxiety-producing hamster wheel of having to do it all and look good doing it.
Distorted body image: Women throughout the decades have been subject to promotions of an "ideal" body type. Every decade or so, the pendulum swings from one side to other, making it feel like you're constantly chasing one thing or the other.
Burnout: External factors create internal pressures, and the resulting anxiety is enough to induce burnout. And because social media can be addicting, it's hard to unplug from it all.
How Can We Break Free From It?
Considering that the industry that empowered influencer culture is omnipresent, breaking free may require some outside assistance. For this reason, many women have connected with therapists who understand the struggle. It can be incredibly validating to regularly spend time with a trained professional who comprehends what the content world can do to turn women into “consumers.”
At the same time, there are valuable self-help steps and lifestyle changes you can make to facilitate the process of detaching from the daily programming. For example:
Learn more about how telecommunication corporations work. They exist, like all businesses, to earn a profit. In their case, it’s a massive profit that happens when they maintain a captive audience.
In addition, learn more about how to instantly recognize when you’re viewing AI images, filters, advertising deception, and more.
Run your own race. Actively choose to redirect your precious focus to aim at yourself and your loved ones. Accept that no one has the right to control your preferences and behaviors. Live the life you want to live, using the unique gifts you’ve been given. It’s way more enriching and meaningful than online echo chambers.
If you think women’s counseling is something that can help reduce anxiety in your life, let’s connect and talk soon.
