FEASIBILIT Y REPORT

A SOCIAL MEDIA
DILEMMA: DISCLOSING
ONE’S SELF
INTRODUCTION
Expressing oneself is one of the many helpful ways of
using social media to the youth. Preadolescence is a
crucial time for the development of personality of an
individual and is also a time where youth tend to care
more on what others see as opposed to simply thinking of
themselves (Sullivan, 2015).

Similarly, according to Kim and Roselyn Lee (2011),

college students feel greater subjective well-being as
they present themselves positively on Facebook, than
they do in their actual lives in order to improve self-
presentation (Qiu et al. 2012).
Given this importance of social media, this study is conducted in order
to elaborate more the impact of social media in expressing oneself.
Therefore, the following questions was formulated:

(1) Where can you really be your true self? In social media? Or in real
life?
(2) How healthy it is to disclose information about ourselves in social
media platforms?
(3) Do you really know yourself despite all the social media influences
or are you already consumed by the traits and standards that the
social media sets?
BACKGROUND
OF THE STUDY
One of the most debated issue nowadays is the
authenticity of everything that can be seen in social
media. In a recent “New Rules” section of Real Time with
Bill Maher, Maher (2018) argued on behalf of reclaiming
authenticity that we have two lives. First, the real us, the
person in a kitchen or a bar, who speaks like a human with
trusted friends, and second, there’s what he call our avatar,
which looks and sounds like us, but it’s not really us. It is the
persona we adopt in any sort of public sphere, which now
includes your followers on Twitter and Instagram, and
thousands of friends on Facebook.
In international matter, a study shows that in Instagram, users are likely
to see highly groomed, organized, filtered pictures strategically posted.

Current research supports that social media is used to actively enhance

one’s social environment through presenting their “idealized self”
through online identity (Schlenker, 1980).

These enhanced online presentations are representing a false sense of

self and perception of others as these images are filtered through
Photoshop applications and strategically chosen (Blanchard & Mask,
2010; Griffin, 2015; Kingsmill et. al, 2007; Stets & Burke, 2014).
In national setting, a study conducted by Cedillo & Ocampo (2016) of San
Beda University shows that there is a moderate significant relationship
between the respondents self-monitoring behavior and selfie behaviour.

Soderstrom (2014), found that the biggest factor of selfie fascination in

Instagram is to get confirmation for other people. Findings of Hoffman
(2006) added that teenage years is the time where they find their sense of
belongingness.

In local context, a research conducted by Limjuco, R., and Vasay, J.

(2016) showed that whatever students portray or publish online speaks litte
of the real image they possess and on what they wanted to impose.
All of these studies show us that what people
present in social media is such a mere
representation of who they really are as a person
in real life and everything in there is just
fabricated and framed.

For them it would be much easier to build

camaraderie in virtual world rather than risking
having an awkward eye-to-eye moments with a
stranger in real life. But most of the time that
doesn’t guarantee a strong and lasting
relationship because everything that is virtual is
just fleeting and can anytime be gone.
METHODOLOGY
In this study, the researchers used the desk-based (secondary
sources centered) approach in looking for answers in the
questions wherein they had a thorough research on the internet
on what are the effects of social media in the lives of the people
who took part in it. They considered all articles and related
literatures from the most reliable professionals to search for
the answers to the questions that were being formulated during the
group discussion.
OVERVIEW OF
ALTERNATIVES
While there is a group of social media users who don’t
feel ashamed to post whatever they want, many
people believe that they have to present themselves
as perfect online. For the few who are able to overlook
the prospect of judgment or stress from social media,
using it is fun.

According to Chantalle Blikman (2014), here are some

great practical and creative alternatives we can all use
to express ourselves other than using social media:
 Draw and paint your feelings. You really don’t have to be good at it.
Just freely express yourself. Turn off your inner critic and let your hands
and mind show what you feel inside.

Sing and dance your feelings. Either in groups, with a partner, or

alone, singing and dancing are the media that is tested through time
to convey emotions and feelings.

Yell your feelings, scream your feelings. A short trip to the beach,
mountains, or any place that could calm your storms is better than
ranting on Twitter.

Exercise. Take at least an hour or two a day to jog or do exercise to

release some stress in your body and to have some time with your
thoughts.
Make a brainstorm of your feelings. Recognizing what you feel is the
first step in realizing why you feel such emotions. Denying will just hide
the problem for a while but will make it even grow more.

Talk to others about your feelings. It would be nice to have a friend

who will intently listen to your feelings and genuinely care about what
you feel and how you are doing.

Join a group of some sort. Being with a group that have the same
sentiments as you would make you more comfortable in sharing
whatever is bugging you inside.
 Express your feelings through a poem or a story. The more you
write, the easier it gets. The more it is a flow, the less a worry. It’s not
for school, it’s not for a grade, it’s just to get your thoughts out there.

Keep a journal and write your feelings in it every day. This is one of
the most common advice of psychiatrists to their patients. It is to assess
your everyday activities and what are those that causes negative effects
on you.

Exaggerate your feelings. Never settle for less and let it all out.
People are not entitled to have a say in whatever you are feeling.
CONCLUSION
To answer the question on where you can really be your true self, it is evident that
studies mentioned suggest that it should be in real life because in social media you will
really have the urge to please your followers. Some people might say that they are
who they are in social media but there will really be times that they’ll seek for approval
and validation that will lead them to sugar coating things.

The “why” to this phenomenon is the answer to the question, “do you really know
yourself despite all the social media influences or are you already consumed by the
traits and standards that the social media sets?”. Some times people are blinded on
the glam and gram of other people that they also want that for themselves so they
make a distorted reality of who they really are. It’s through these happenings that we
already lose the real essence of our true identity.
RECOMMENDATIONS
 Share positivity. Share posts and comments that pick
people up, rather than tear them down. Use social media
as a forum to share peace, harmony, happiness,
laughter, and love.
Commit to peaceful interactions with others. It’s
important to understand that social media is a
community of individuals expressing widely varied ideas,
thoughts, and beliefs.
Reel in your ego. When posting, remember to consider
how you can help serve the larger world conversation
regarding the issues you share or comment on. Know that
your ego acts out of a need for recognition and approval.
 End.
You are valid, personally or virtually!
Group 3 Members:

Baligasa, Michelle
Billena, Elmarie
Cabarrubias, Hanel
Diaz, Aila Marie
Javellana, Kaye
Masancay, Sarah-lyn
Mendoza, Jasie
Rulona, Jeeva
Vista, Patricia Idmara