The Negative Effects of Social Media 

60% of individuals admitted that excessive social media usage has negatively impacted their self-esteem. 

According to a Huffington Post article, a Behavioral Scientist obtained this information by interviewing men and women between the ages of 28 to 73. The publication initially shared the news in 2017. 

The following results showcased that people develop lower self-esteem by excessive social media usage, and 50% admitted it negatively influences their relationship. At the same time, 80% of the study participants disclosed that it’s easy to be deceived by others. 

People feel this way primarily because of the false perception social media users portray on their accounts: having a lavish lifestyle, perfect relationships, and flawless bodies. 

Why Its Important Today and Nicki Minaj Interview 

You may wonder why is this old news is relevant today if you bear with me, you will soon understand. Earlier this week, rapper Nicki Minaj admitted altering her body during an in-depth discussion with Joe Budden.

During the interview, which was shared on Joe Budden TV YouTube channel, the New York rapper disclosed that she received butt injections when social media rose. Although Minaj revealed it wasn’t the main factor that pushed her to change her figure. She did, however, share that she was getting bullied by individuals online. 

Minaj said, “Social media was just beginning when I started. So I was a lot of people’s guinea pig. I was the first people to be s—–d on, on the internet. It wasn’t acceptable to have surgery at all or anything, and at that time, I had never had surgery. I had a– shots.”

Minaj also explained that the procedure was not done by a “doctor” or a “professional.” The 39-year-old shared outside influences like rapper Lil Wayne and many others would “casually” bring up how her rapping career would advance if she were to alter her look.

“I kept on being around Wayne and them. You know at that time, Wayne would talk about big booties. Wayne would have a new chick in the studio every session, and they were his muses,” 

She continued, “But I was around them all the time. I was like the little sister, and they would say this is what you’re supposed to look like in the rap culture, and I don’t look like that.”

Following Minaj’s butt injections admission, she received praise from fans for her transparency regarding the situation.

My Personal Story

My experience with social media has been a love/hate relationship. I entered the scene back in the day when Myspace was at its peak. I later transitioned to Facebook and Instagram. 

When I joined Instagram in 2011 or 2012, it was fun at first, just posting pictures of yourself and the things you like. It later became a numbers game of how many likes I could get for a perfect image and how I could look the way others wanted me to. 

It eventually took a toll on me mentally and emotionally because I felt I wasn’t good enough based on the likes and the number of comments I received. I had to take breaks periodically to show myself that social media isn’t reality but rather highlights of everyone’s lives.

Although at 28-years-old I still find myself pondering what perfect caption I should post with my uploads and what images to share, I am not as critical as before. 

Despite how physically unflattering I may appear, I push myself to share photos where I have the most fun. The reason behind it is to get me out of my comfort zone and start living my life for me. 

In closing, I’m not saying social media is bad, but how you use it and how often you use it can affect your life.

I may not know where you are on this social media journey but know it is okay to post imperfect photos and be yourself.

To keep this conversation going, I am sharing a Ted Talks discussion about how social media can negatively impact your mental health. What are your thoughts? Share them down below.