The editing and altering process which, I am able to safely say, every single picture I came across went through is one of the biggest behavioral shocks I came across while conducting my "participant observation." Whether it's choosing between multiple effects to enhance ones photo or actually photo-shopping out body parts in photos to then upload to Facebook, these actions which I saw over and over again not only suggests poor self-image and increased stress to look and act just like everyone else you see on your screen, it sustains this negative outcome by creating more unrealistic goals that encourage this ultimately damaging behavior.
There is no denying that the advent of Facebook in our day and age has had its advantages, such as the increased ability to keep in touch with old friends and the capability of sharing your own experiences with those friends. When asking friends and family members of a wide range of ages what gratifications the universally used social platform serves them they said exactly that. It is a way for them to connect with people they may have never spoken to or heard from if not for Facebook, along with the idea that they "like to know what everyone's up to" and claim to use it as a "source of entertainment." However, as a self-confessed Facebook addict, as well as having done an extensive amount of research on the topic, there is a dark side to too much digital connection. While you may think you are keeping up and improving your social life by using these sites, it is actually a negative activity that is detrimental to one's self. Its positive feature of a constant connection to 'friends' also comes with the constant social agenda of needing to promote oneself and not only entertain users with false happiness, but to convince him/herself that they lead a great life as well. .
There are ample amounts of studies that prove a large amount of Facebook's millions upon millions of users to be linked to decreased self-esteem and an increase of poor self-image among our society, children and adults alike.
