BY 
TAYLOR SCHWEITZER
Texting, tweeting and posting photos via Instagram can leave students with mixed emotions, including insecurity.
At Conestoga College, some students believe that feeling secure on social media depends on how they feel about themselves.
“I have felt self-conscious about myself before on social media because of the certain photos of myself posing with friends that are posted online,” said Khrystyna Wilson, a first-year educational support student.
Making a picture-perfect “selfie” can leave students feeling insecure.
“It almost feels like a competition all of the time to be sure that your hair is done up all nice or your face looks perfect in all of your photos,” Wilson said.
Realizing your insecurity as a young person is the first step to stopping problems on social media and elsewhere.
“(Look at) the result of this social competition we’re seeing before us,” said Jon Negroni, a critic conspirer and writer at Apple Inc. “Kids are getting on Instagram and seeing pictures of people they know doing something that they aren’t. It can be overwhelming for someone at a young age to feel like they are missing out on something.”
There are different things you can do on social media to make you feel good about yourself like posting positive comments on friends’ profiles. This can make you feel good about helping others.
“I always try to post positive comments on my friends’ photos because it can really put a smile on their face,” said Michelle Demerchant, a first-year educational support student.
Lifting other people up can raise their self-esteem and make them more confident as a person.
Sharing your feelings with the people you trust and listening to how they feel is important and strengthens friendships.
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