From edited TikTok videos with special effects , to beautifully curated and edited squares on IG , to wildly filtered photos on SnapChat and highlight reels on Facebook , today ’ s youth spends much of their time emerged in a world that suspends reality , scrapping for likes and comments on their false portrayals of self while feeding dopamine hits to 400 of their closest friends .
The need for belonging is real , innate , and powerful . Early psychologists recognized the emotional need to be accepted into relationships with other people and to be part of a group . Abraham Maslow regarded belonging as the third most important in his hierarchy of needs , coming only behind the needs for sustenance and safety . John Bowlby recognized that this need was present at birth and that being accepted or not by our parents and caregivers had a lasting impact on attachment behaviors and wellbeing . Historically , we have satisfied our need for belonging through face-to-face interactions , but now , and particularly during this pandemic , we have increasingly relied on social media to meet this need .
Social connectedness is particularly important during adolescence as “ adolescents who perceive a weaker sense of belonging among their peers are more likely to engage in maladaptive behaviors and experience negative emotions both concurrently and in the future .” ( Source ) Social connectedness contributes to levels of anxiety , loneliness , and depression as well as plays a role in the “ cognitive representations that adolescents develop regarding who they are and their place in the world .” Therefore , it ’ s important to understand how these experiences are affected by social media .
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