Self-Critique & Social Media

The online world of social media is a world of surface self-critique, but lacking constructive deeper self-critique.  This is seen in our media blogs and some of our classmate's comments. For example, I noticed comments by one of our classmates has just been critiquing fonts and the color of the post. While those may be important things to notice, they are not engaging with the substance or the deeper aspects of the article; they deal with superficial aspects that don’t matter in the long run. This type of critique is annoying, unproductive, and serves no constructive purpose. 

This same pattern is seen in our relationship with media. We judge and critique ourselves based on our outer appearance; our color, our weight, the clothiers we wear, and other aspects of our physical appearance. We critique ourselves based off of standards set by generally edited and manipulated pictures which cannot portray substantial deeper meaning. The self-critique that comes from media is surface level. While it is good to look our best and feel confident in how we look, media in this matter is a double-edged sword. Media, especially social media, gives us images of others that we judge ourselves based on and generally leads to lack of confidence and unhappiness in personal images. Even if we know that we are beautiful and important in our own ways, or that what’s inside is more important than what’s outside, there is always going to be some form of negative self-critique or jealousy that comes from seeing someone we deem as better than us. But because the things we critique ourselves on are unchangeable or have no reason to be changed, there can be no positive progress from self-critique. Self-critique is good if it is for the sake of self-betterment in a category that can be improved and should be improved; like personality or a skill. But if it goes to the point where there is genuine unhappiness without hope of betterment, which is the kind most common in social media, self-critique is unhealthy and unproductive. 

It is basically impossible to do away with all harmful surface self-critique due to the large presence of media and the way we’ve grown up surrounded by it. However, there are ways to mitigate the impact it has on us. I recognize that I’m not the prettiest, athletic, musical, funniest,  or smartest person ever, and for a while (and still) it’s frustrating. But, I’ve come to accept it, and it doesn't bother me as much anyone. This is in part due to the fact that I recognize that I can’t be all of those things and there will always be someone better than me because they put in more work, care more, or just are better. If I I look down on myself because I’m not good at something and I want to develop that skill, I recognize that I can, but it requires sacrifice and work. If I look down on myself because I’m not pretty enough or don’t look a certain way, I recognize that I don’t have to. I also recognize that many people will look past my physical imperfections, and if they don’t, there’s no reason to peruse that relationship or friendship, because those aspects of me that I don’t directly control don’t completely define who I am. 

If I critique myself because I am rude, offensive, dishonest, or abusive, then it is good and necessary because those attributes are things that I can and should change for the better. If it is necessary for change, Inward self-critique is good, but outward self-critique of things that don’t matter is harmful and unnecessary and comes from most aspects of social media.