Social media is now an integral part of our lives. It has given many the opportunity to put their lives out there. As a result, some people take advantage of it to share anything whether they are celebrities or not.
They post photos of wads of cash, fleets of cars, filtered pictures as well as fits achieved and much more. These contents are consumed by persons who spend hours gliding from Facebook, to Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram to view the posts shared by their favourite celebrities and friends. This can lead to social media envy or jealousy.
To put this perspective, a recent global study on social media jealousy conducted by Kaspersky Lab reveals that nearly 60% of the participants viewed a friend as having a better life than their own simply by seeing that friend’s social media activity, and almost half were upset after viewing photos from a friend’s happy holiday celebration. 16,750 people who are at least 16-years-old from 18 countries participated in the online survey.
This is not a pleasant feeling and is one of the shortcomings of social media and if you do not put it in check, it can lead to depression.
Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency shares ways to handle or curb it social media jealousy.
Know that you may not be looking at reality
You see a girl on Instagram with all the curves. However, when you eventually meet her, you are utterly disappointed. Social media can make people be whatever they want to be even if they are not. It is a false and fake life. There is a big difference between their social media life and their real life.
Identify and plug triggers
Which picture (s) do you look at that makes you jealous or envious? Identify that person (s) and perhaps block them from your timeline. But the question is how many people do you want to block? Their activities are in your face.
Appreciate yourself
Sometimes it is better to focus on your own blessings and appreciate yourself. This should always be at the back of your mind when the envy or thoughts slowly creep in.
Remember the person’s intent
Sometimes the intent of a post is just to show off. It is bragging! They display the stupendous amount they spend at clubs and their good looking wardrobe. People who are discerning will simply ignore them.
Be genuinely happy for them
There are times you feel that someone is honest in their post and you know they are just sharing what makes them happy. You can drop a nice comment for them. This will give you a wonderful feeling.
Stop the comparison
There is no need to assess or judge yourself based on what you see on social media. Be self-aware so that when the comparison thoughts pop up in your mind, you should kill it immediately. Do not allow it to go viral. If it does, you will just become moody for no justifiable reason.
Take a social media break
This may be very difficult. However, take a break if you cannot deal with the jealousy. Alternatively, cut the hours you spend on travelling from one social media account to another.
Adeniyi Ogunfowoke is a PR Associate at Jumia Travel
