“Don’t believe everything you see; even salt looks like sugar.” This quote perfectly explains how social media works today. I agree that social media is full of lies. While it helps people connect and share, it also spreads fake impressions, unrealistic standards, and false information.
Firstly, social media often shows only the good parts of someone’s life. Many influencers post edited and filtered photos to make themselves look perfect. They only share their success and happy moments, not their real-life struggles. This makes others feel like their own lives are not good enough, causing pressure to look or live a certain way.
Secondly, social media can negatively affect mental health. People often depend on likes and comments to feel good about themselves. When they don’t get many likes, they may feel sad or unimportant. According to Bounds (2024), getting likes gives a short-term happiness boost, but not getting any can lower self-esteem. This shows how fake online approval affects real emotions.
However, not everything online is bad. Some users post real content to promote honesty and self-love. They share their personal struggles, unfiltered photos, or mental health stories. This helps others feel accepted and supported.
In conclusion, social media can be full of lies that create false images and hurt our self-confidence. But if used wisely, it can also spread truth and kindness. We should not believe everything we see online and learn to focus on what is real, not just what is perfect.
2 Responses
The essay is well- structured, here is some improvement that can be made :
1) Grammar
“Does not get many likes” can be changed to “When they receive few likes” – to sound more formal.
“Make themselves look perfect” can be changed to “Present an idealized image of themselves” – to sound more academic.
2) Clarity and depth
The counterpoint paragraph is good, but a specific example (e.g., a well-known figure who promotes authenticity) could make it more impactful.
Overall, good job!
For the specific example, could it be like the “Accroding to Bounds (2024)…” to make it more impactful ?