Slaying the dragon of social media envy

Those who have mastered the art of carefully curating their online lives have inadvertently forged a fertile environment for a psychologically insidious phenomenon known as social media envy.This is not just casual admiration, far from it. It is a deep-seated, often painful feeling of discontent or resentment brought about by observing the perceived success, happiness or possessions of others online. The constant bombardment of reels and carousels may prompt an unfair and psychologically damaging comparison to your own unedited, imperfect, complex life.To identify this insidious form of envy requires a lot of self-awareness regarding your post-consumption emotional state. As soon as you binge, not only will you have fleeting jealousy but sustained feelings of low self-worth, inadequacy and increased mood irritability after scrolling.Take the example of a fresh graduate, fresh off college, scrolling past an influencer’s perfectly staged “work-from-anywhere” post detailing a life of perpetual travel, high-value projects and all the trappings that come with it. While behind closed doors, that may involve immense stress and transient work, yet you internalise a gap. “My career trajectory is stagnant and my life is mundane.”Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsAppThis contrast fuels rumination, whereby you repeatedly focus on your perceived deficit, thus eroding your satisfaction with your own actual achievements and milestones.The primary negative mental health effects of this envy include the amplification of depressive symptoms and generalised anxiety. When the brain consistently registers the online world as a benchmark of success that it cannot meet, it triggers a chronic stress response.Besides that, this envy usually leads to an addictive consumption pattern known as the “fear of missing out” (FOMO), compelling you to keep checking the platform even though the act in itself causes distress.Research has concluded that passive consumption, aka the silent act of viewing others’ lives without interaction, is particularly linked to increased negative emotions, thus reinforcing the idea that passive observation fosters self-criticism and envy.Overcoming this is doable and requires strategic disengagement and a re-framing of online content. You will have to teach the algorithm to change what it suggests by curating your feed aggressively, muting or unfollowing accounts that reliably trigger feelings of inadequacy.You also need to consciously recognise the “comparison fallacy” by understanding that social media profiles are marketing tools and not documented evidence of internal well-being.By limiting social media time and replacing it with real-life activities that offer genuine social connection, you will start to focus back to your intrinsic self for personal fulfilment, thereby neutralising the psychological toxicity of the staged digital world.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

This is not just casual admiration, far from it. It is a deep-seated, often painful feeling of discontent or resentment brought about by observing the perceived success, happiness or possessions of others online. The constant bombardment of reels and carousels may prompt an unfair and psychologically damaging comparison to your own unedited, imperfect, complex life.To identify this insidious form of envy requires a lot of self-awareness regarding your post-consumption emotional state. As soon as you binge, not only will you have fleeting jealousy but sustained feelings of low self-worth, inadequacy and increased mood irritability after scrolling.Take the example of a fresh graduate, fresh off college, scrolling past an influencer’s perfectly staged “work-from-anywhere” post detailing a life of perpetual travel, high-value projects and all the trappings that come with it. While behind closed doors, that may involve immense stress and transient work, yet you internalise a gap. “My career trajectory is stagnant and my life is mundane.”Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsAppThis contrast fuels rumination, whereby you repeatedly focus on your perceived deficit, thus eroding your satisfaction with your own actual achievements and milestones.The primary negative mental health effects of this envy include the amplification of depressive symptoms and generalised anxiety. When the brain consistently registers the online world as a benchmark of success that it cannot meet, it triggers a chronic stress response.Besides that, this envy usually leads to an addictive consumption pattern known as the “fear of missing out” (FOMO), compelling you to keep checking the platform even though the act in itself causes distress.Research has concluded that passive consumption, aka the silent act of viewing others’ lives without interaction, is particularly linked to increased negative emotions, thus reinforcing the idea that passive observation fosters self-criticism and envy.Overcoming this is doable and requires strategic disengagement and a re-framing of online content. You will have to teach the algorithm to change what it suggests by curating your feed aggressively, muting or unfollowing accounts that reliably trigger feelings of inadequacy.You also need to consciously recognise the “comparison fallacy” by understanding that social media profiles are marketing tools and not documented evidence of internal well-being.By limiting social media time and replacing it with real-life activities that offer genuine social connection, you will start to focus back to your intrinsic self for personal fulfilment, thereby neutralising the psychological toxicity of the staged digital world.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

To identify this insidious form of envy requires a lot of self-awareness regarding your post-consumption emotional state. As soon as you binge, not only will you have fleeting jealousy but sustained feelings of low self-worth, inadequacy and increased mood irritability after scrolling.Take the example of a fresh graduate, fresh off college, scrolling past an influencer’s perfectly staged “work-from-anywhere” post detailing a life of perpetual travel, high-value projects and all the trappings that come with it. While behind closed doors, that may involve immense stress and transient work, yet you internalise a gap. “My career trajectory is stagnant and my life is mundane.”Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsAppThis contrast fuels rumination, whereby you repeatedly focus on your perceived deficit, thus eroding your satisfaction with your own actual achievements and milestones.The primary negative mental health effects of this envy include the amplification of depressive symptoms and generalised anxiety. When the brain consistently registers the online world as a benchmark of success that it cannot meet, it triggers a chronic stress response.Besides that, this envy usually leads to an addictive consumption pattern known as the “fear of missing out” (FOMO), compelling you to keep checking the platform even though the act in itself causes distress.Research has concluded that passive consumption, aka the silent act of viewing others’ lives without interaction, is particularly linked to increased negative emotions, thus reinforcing the idea that passive observation fosters self-criticism and envy.Overcoming this is doable and requires strategic disengagement and a re-framing of online content. You will have to teach the algorithm to change what it suggests by curating your feed aggressively, muting or unfollowing accounts that reliably trigger feelings of inadequacy.You also need to consciously recognise the “comparison fallacy” by understanding that social media profiles are marketing tools and not documented evidence of internal well-being.By limiting social media time and replacing it with real-life activities that offer genuine social connection, you will start to focus back to your intrinsic self for personal fulfilment, thereby neutralising the psychological toxicity of the staged digital world.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

Take the example of a fresh graduate, fresh off college, scrolling past an influencer’s perfectly staged “work-from-anywhere” post detailing a life of perpetual travel, high-value projects and all the trappings that come with it. While behind closed doors, that may involve immense stress and transient work, yet you internalise a gap. “My career trajectory is stagnant and my life is mundane.”Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsAppThis contrast fuels rumination, whereby you repeatedly focus on your perceived deficit, thus eroding your satisfaction with your own actual achievements and milestones.The primary negative mental health effects of this envy include the amplification of depressive symptoms and generalised anxiety. When the brain consistently registers the online world as a benchmark of success that it cannot meet, it triggers a chronic stress response.Besides that, this envy usually leads to an addictive consumption pattern known as the “fear of missing out” (FOMO), compelling you to keep checking the platform even though the act in itself causes distress.Research has concluded that passive consumption, aka the silent act of viewing others’ lives without interaction, is particularly linked to increased negative emotions, thus reinforcing the idea that passive observation fosters self-criticism and envy.Overcoming this is doable and requires strategic disengagement and a re-framing of online content. You will have to teach the algorithm to change what it suggests by curating your feed aggressively, muting or unfollowing accounts that reliably trigger feelings of inadequacy.You also need to consciously recognise the “comparison fallacy” by understanding that social media profiles are marketing tools and not documented evidence of internal well-being.By limiting social media time and replacing it with real-life activities that offer genuine social connection, you will start to focus back to your intrinsic self for personal fulfilment, thereby neutralising the psychological toxicity of the staged digital world.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

This contrast fuels rumination, whereby you repeatedly focus on your perceived deficit, thus eroding your satisfaction with your own actual achievements and milestones.The primary negative mental health effects of this envy include the amplification of depressive symptoms and generalised anxiety. When the brain consistently registers the online world as a benchmark of success that it cannot meet, it triggers a chronic stress response.Besides that, this envy usually leads to an addictive consumption pattern known as the “fear of missing out” (FOMO), compelling you to keep checking the platform even though the act in itself causes distress.Research has concluded that passive consumption, aka the silent act of viewing others’ lives without interaction, is particularly linked to increased negative emotions, thus reinforcing the idea that passive observation fosters self-criticism and envy.Overcoming this is doable and requires strategic disengagement and a re-framing of online content. You will have to teach the algorithm to change what it suggests by curating your feed aggressively, muting or unfollowing accounts that reliably trigger feelings of inadequacy.You also need to consciously recognise the “comparison fallacy” by understanding that social media profiles are marketing tools and not documented evidence of internal well-being.By limiting social media time and replacing it with real-life activities that offer genuine social connection, you will start to focus back to your intrinsic self for personal fulfilment, thereby neutralising the psychological toxicity of the staged digital world.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

The primary negative mental health effects of this envy include the amplification of depressive symptoms and generalised anxiety. When the brain consistently registers the online world as a benchmark of success that it cannot meet, it triggers a chronic stress response.Besides that, this envy usually leads to an addictive consumption pattern known as the “fear of missing out” (FOMO), compelling you to keep checking the platform even though the act in itself causes distress.Research has concluded that passive consumption, aka the silent act of viewing others’ lives without interaction, is particularly linked to increased negative emotions, thus reinforcing the idea that passive observation fosters self-criticism and envy.Overcoming this is doable and requires strategic disengagement and a re-framing of online content. You will have to teach the algorithm to change what it suggests by curating your feed aggressively, muting or unfollowing accounts that reliably trigger feelings of inadequacy.You also need to consciously recognise the “comparison fallacy” by understanding that social media profiles are marketing tools and not documented evidence of internal well-being.By limiting social media time and replacing it with real-life activities that offer genuine social connection, you will start to focus back to your intrinsic self for personal fulfilment, thereby neutralising the psychological toxicity of the staged digital world.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

Besides that, this envy usually leads to an addictive consumption pattern known as the “fear of missing out” (FOMO), compelling you to keep checking the platform even though the act in itself causes distress.Research has concluded that passive consumption, aka the silent act of viewing others’ lives without interaction, is particularly linked to increased negative emotions, thus reinforcing the idea that passive observation fosters self-criticism and envy.Overcoming this is doable and requires strategic disengagement and a re-framing of online content. You will have to teach the algorithm to change what it suggests by curating your feed aggressively, muting or unfollowing accounts that reliably trigger feelings of inadequacy.You also need to consciously recognise the “comparison fallacy” by understanding that social media profiles are marketing tools and not documented evidence of internal well-being.By limiting social media time and replacing it with real-life activities that offer genuine social connection, you will start to focus back to your intrinsic self for personal fulfilment, thereby neutralising the psychological toxicity of the staged digital world.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

Research has concluded that passive consumption, aka the silent act of viewing others’ lives without interaction, is particularly linked to increased negative emotions, thus reinforcing the idea that passive observation fosters self-criticism and envy.Overcoming this is doable and requires strategic disengagement and a re-framing of online content. You will have to teach the algorithm to change what it suggests by curating your feed aggressively, muting or unfollowing accounts that reliably trigger feelings of inadequacy.You also need to consciously recognise the “comparison fallacy” by understanding that social media profiles are marketing tools and not documented evidence of internal well-being.By limiting social media time and replacing it with real-life activities that offer genuine social connection, you will start to focus back to your intrinsic self for personal fulfilment, thereby neutralising the psychological toxicity of the staged digital world.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

Overcoming this is doable and requires strategic disengagement and a re-framing of online content. You will have to teach the algorithm to change what it suggests by curating your feed aggressively, muting or unfollowing accounts that reliably trigger feelings of inadequacy.You also need to consciously recognise the “comparison fallacy” by understanding that social media profiles are marketing tools and not documented evidence of internal well-being.By limiting social media time and replacing it with real-life activities that offer genuine social connection, you will start to focus back to your intrinsic self for personal fulfilment, thereby neutralising the psychological toxicity of the staged digital world.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

You also need to consciously recognise the “comparison fallacy” by understanding that social media profiles are marketing tools and not documented evidence of internal well-being.By limiting social media time and replacing it with real-life activities that offer genuine social connection, you will start to focus back to your intrinsic self for personal fulfilment, thereby neutralising the psychological toxicity of the staged digital world.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

By limiting social media time and replacing it with real-life activities that offer genuine social connection, you will start to focus back to your intrinsic self for personal fulfilment, thereby neutralising the psychological toxicity of the staged digital world.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

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