Study Finds Social Media Might Not Be As Big A Villain In Everyone's Insecurity & Self-Absorption Nowadays

A new study found that social media really isn't as bad as we make it out to be. While it can be the source of a lot of stress and anxiety, especially for young, impressionable people trying to go about the world, there's more to the story.

It can be really easy to compare oneself to another person's seemingly perfect life. After all, social media is just another outlet for people to post their highlight reels. However, it's not what's completely to blame for people being insecure and self-absorbed. Economic inequality and instability are the real culprits.

Study finds social media might not be as big a villain in everyone's insecurity and self-absorption nowadays.

People aren't just fighting against the pressures of social media. They're really just trying to survive the day-to-day without experiencing a total freakout. Thomas Curran, the study's leader at the London School of Economics and Political Science, sought to capture the essence of perfectionism in young adults and its true origins.

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Researchers found that, as a whole, participants self-reported perfectionism at an increased rate between 1989 and 2024. According to the study, "Perfectionistic concerns," including fear of failure and fear of being negatively judged by others, increased much more rapidly than what researchers termed "perfectionistic strivings," which were simply motivating factors to attempt to accomplish goals.

In general, people are starting to become more perfectionistic than ever before. Even though social media might play a role in it, there's just too much at stake financially.

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Perfectionistic attitudes increase when economic opportunities decrease

There's a significant correlation between economic downturn and the rise in perfectionistic attitudes in people. In writing about the research, the APA noted, "They found that slowing gross domestic product (GDP) per capita was associated with higher rates of perfectionistic striving, while rising economic inequality was associated with steeper increases in perfectionistic concerns." 

In a nutshell, the economy leaves people so absorbed in their own world that they try to enhance their financial security at the cost of everything else.

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Perfectionism can be a difficult hurdle to jump through in the mind. According to the Academic Resource Center at Harvard University, "Perfectionists often struggle to moderate their behaviors not because they enjoy the feeling of struggling to meet high standards, but because they believe that they must continue to be perfect to be successful and accepted by others." In other words, perfectionism can really hinder one's own self-worth, and reinforce a self-defeating mindset.

The pressures of meeting the standard of young adulthood procured by prior generations, obtaining livable wages, and affording basic necessities all take precedence over gaining followers on social media in this moment in time. There really is no choice but to work hard and make good decisions, since there's not an economic cushion to fall back on. It feels devastating, and we're all mourning the young adulthood we were promised. 

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Perfectionism will subside if you just keep going.

Perfectionism, especially when it's related to finances and the economy, can be paralyzing. Trying to analyze and keep track of everything happening in the world while getting it right the first time around is just too big an ask. Try not to let the fear get to you, as there are ways to cope and move past perfectionism.

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According to financial advisor and author Money with Katie, "The point is, sometimes the best step is picking the thing that feels the most damaging or self-defeating in your financial picture and starting there, regardless of what the money gurus tell you is the “right” place to start." No matter what the world tells you you need to do to succeed, prioritize yourself, and go about it in a way that feels right for you.

In the end, there's really no right way to do things. Even though social media can exacerbate feelings of insecurity, we're all really just trying to climb the same mountain on different sides. Don't beat yourself up if you need some screen time to decompress. 

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