Stop indulging in "likes" and avoid anxiety

——This article is the entry of the 7th National College Students " Review Star" Selection Contest of the Red Network

Recently, a blogger's remarks of "don't care too much about the likes of others in the circle of friends" have resonated with a wide range of netizens, and many people have fallen into the anxiety of no one in the circle of friends, and they are very envious of those friends who have been liked a lot. It is true that the care and attention of others makes us feel comfortable and unconsciously immersed in it, but can this really eliminate anxiety? Unfortunately, no.

The online world has gradually become the new social place of this era, whether it is online games or various social media, it provides us with a stage to play ourselves, and also provides us with the space of "second life". In the online world of "I share, therefore I am", people share their true voices on social networks while shaping and presenting an idealized version of themselves.

When posting a circle of friends, do you bother to show what you are doing in your life? Do you think twice before posting a story, and carefully crop and retouch before posting an image? In the process, the "true self" has long since deviated from its original image. Sometimes maintaining an "ideal self" is exhausting and prone to anxiety.

Another kind of anxiety comes from the dual life of reality and the Internet, making it easier for us to "separate" from our real friends, stay alone in the network "utopia" that belongs only to individuals, and unconsciously alienate friends and relatives. Various social apps turn us and our friends in real life into "fans", we brush the circle of friends every day, show each other filter photos, carefully edited status, and then do a little "like friendship".

Although we feel good when we are active on social media, after leaving the Internet, we still can't avoid the emptiness that arises from the lack of communication with people in reality. Overly caring about the circle of friends on the Internet will encroach on our real life, so that we lose precious time to really spend with our friends, and lose the opportunity to self-reflect and listen to our own voices.

The "likes" of the circle of friends cannot replace the affirmation of the true self and the spark generated by face-to-face communication, and it also lacks a trace of "temperature". Therefore, stop deceiving yourself with hilarious "likes", put down your phone, and spend more time with family and friends.

Wentu Zheng Shunshun (Chongqing University)