The Dictatorship of Happiness on Social Media

Social media has become ubiquitous in our lives and everyday interactions with one another. It has numerous benefits but has also created such a comparative despair when everything is out there and exposed to everyone. Some people feel that their lives are not good enough and social media sets standards even for how everyone should look leaving some feeling that their bodies don’t look good enough. This feeling of lack and not being enough is what characterizes the dictatorship of happiness on social media.

What is the Dictatorship of Happiness on Social Media?

The Dictatorship of Happiness on social media is when social media causes us to set such high standards for ourselves, as we see others portray better lifestyles, body shapes, etc, that we become overly disappointed and even depressed when we fail to meet these high and often unattainable standards. This leads to a feeling of failure, self-disappointment, and often self-hate.

It may also lead to depression and even in some extreme cases, suicidal ideation and suicide or even wanting to and undergoing cosmetic surgery and procedures to change how one looks. A good example is when people go for a nose job because they feel that their nose needs to be ‘fixed’ out of what they see on social media and what it dictates a proper nose should look like.

This post was inspired by the a DW documentary on the dictatorship of happiness on social media. Watch it below.

Is the Dictatorship of Happiness on Social Media Real?

Yes. It is very real. For instance, in the decades passed, people would just go visit tourist locations and historical sites with normal cameras to record memories and scenery. However, today people visit these places to take photos for social media platforms such as Instagram where people will even overly visit a popular location just to get an “IG pic” but not necessarily to enjoy the place and what it offers.