Social media is a significant feature of today’s society and a crucial factor which influences the lives of young women in the present-day world. Popularly known as “social media girls,” these young women constantly grapple with different stages in interpersonal relationships, appearance, and identity online. Although social media provides many positive aspects such as connection and therefore, reception of power, it also has the potential of contributing to several issues that may affect the mental health of the individuals involved as well as their self-images. The mixed nature of social media on young women is dealt with in this article with light and shade as discussed below.
The Power of Connection and Community
Major advantage of social media for young women is opportunities for community and identification – for finding like-minded individuals with whom one can express and explore shared topics, interests, goals, and attitudes. Social media girls appreciate forms such as IG, TikTok, or Twitter to form groups or communities thus offering encouragement and support. Such online communities can be useful for a particular audience who may otherwise experience alienation in their real-world existence. Opportunity to establish rapport: Most young women can feel some degree of fellowship while in search of or when engaging with other women who share similar stakes.
Twitter also helps young women to know what is happening in the society and especially their involvement in activism and creating awareness about causes they would like to see addressed. Social media has been used by various movements like #MeToo #BlackLivesMatter and more which shows how the platform can in fact enact change and give a voice to people who might not otherwise have one.
Self-Expression and Creativity
Most of the social media girls use applications such as Instagram and TikTok as a way of self- expression using images, videos as well as incorporating writing. These platforms provide opportunities to display and develop talents, as well as give a voice to people and try out new ideas. Maintaining and sharing the contents enable young women to create and display their own stories out there in the world.
Further, social media has made content creation more accessible for the Independence movement, enabling young women to become influencers, bloggers, and entrepreneurs. Most social media girls have their hobbies turn into business ventures where they us their influence and page to advertise products and even offer services from various companies. At the core of this empowering message is the emphasis on achieving career goals and financial independence despite the challenges faced by young women entrepreneurs.
The Pressure to Conform
Although social media websites may represent a useful tool for empowering young women, it also carries certain burdens that are unpleasant for one’s health. Living in an environment where pictures are selected and quite frequently depict only the perfect version of beauty, success, and happiness, it naturally creates feelings of inferiority. Social media girls get influenced into developing certain perceptions concerning lifestyles and appearance, this ends up making them stressed, depressed and engaged in undesirable practices. This activity also leads to competition, bringing validity or feeling accepted and approved by other peers which is very dangerous for young women. Such culture of comparison is more damaging during adolescence when children and teenagers are in the process of finding their individual identity, and establishing their ascribed worth.
Navigating Cyberbullying and Online Harassment
The other major issue that afflicts the social media girls is violation of their privacy and cyberbullying. In this case, the component of the internet as the new venue of interaction is also negative, as it makes people hide behind the cloak of anonymity and freely express negative emotions, sexually harass young women with mean comments or threats, or otherwise be abusive. Since harassing messages can be distressing, they will most likely have negative effects on mental health and welfare.
In order to avoid these risks, social media companies need to introduce and enforce measures to prevent abusive conduct targets within the platform environment. Also, women of that age should be advised on ways of protecting themselves on social media, how to block or report an account that is bullying or harassing them among other options.
The roles of Internet and the Life in offline world
Realizing the tenets of social media girls is fundamental to work out a balance between social media platform presence and normal life. In conclusion, although the possibilities Social media opens up are vast, people should not rely on social media as ways of communication and experiences of actual life. Being offline is useful, and young women should be encouraged to go out and meet people, interact with friends and family as well as other like-minded people in some societies.
Suggestions include creating a schedule of how much time shall be spent in a day using social media and focusing on physical activities and interests other than spending time on social media. There is also benefit in learning mindfulness and practicing social media detox where individuals can limit the amount of time spent using social media applications to a healthy level.
Conclusion
It can therefore be concluded that social media has not entirely brought a negative impact to the lives of young women, but has brought a positive aspect in the life of young women. While social media girls are in this digital space, employment of these social platforms has its pressures and these risks have to be kept in mind even though there is a possibility of people connection, self-promotion, and eventually female power. If these young women can avoid the adverse effects of social media platforms and develop a healthy relationship with social media platforms, they will be able to reap the benefits of social media platforms both on the social media platforms and in real life.
