Media does not represent people as they are. This is especially true in the era of social media. Over the last few decades, the use of the internet has led to the emergence of various social sites such as Face book, Twitter, WhatsApp and LinkedIn just to mention a few. Most people use these sites to promote their brands. These sites are also used to expand one’s social network. The use of social media and sometimes the mainstream media present ideal people. An individual posts pictures or statements that reflect what they would like to be and not who they are. Most of what people post is a reflection of the successful people they would love to mirror. The real self is thus suppressed (Green, 2013) . In so doing, the personal attributes that defines a person are not brought out for people to judge for themselves. This is usually the same way politics and social issues are presented in the mainstream media. Through well drafted media messages, propaganda is well spread by politicians and political parties. This influences the voters in a certain direction. Media can also be used to portray specific races or people are violent. This influences the way the larger global community perceives those individuals (Instaread, 2015) .
The portrayal of ideal people has led to a culture of competitiveness. Most people use the media to post their ideal lives. Some create an impression of them being very rich. In so doing, this clicks a panic button to the followers making them post fake photos and lifestyles. Media also furthers hate by fronting wrong information about specific people or races. Moreover, through “likes” and “followers”, media can give an individual a fake sense of self-esteem. This fake life is hard to maintain as it leads to a constant state of anxiety as one tries to maintain this ideal life (Green, 2013) .
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References
Green, R. K. (2013). The Social Media Effect: Are You Really Who You Portray Online? Huffpost .
Instaread. (2015). For the Love: by Jen Hatmaker | Summary & Analysis: Fighting for Grace in a World of Impossible Standards. New york: Instaread Summaries.
