There are several psychological motivations behind individuals’ tendency to constantly report and share their activities on social media platforms like Facebook. One key factor is the desire for validation and approval from others. When individuals post about their activities and receive likes, comments, and shares, they feel validated and affirmed by their social circle. This can boost their self-esteem and self-worth, as they receive positive feedback and validation from others.
From this perspective, we can see there is a aspect of “their activities” in one side, and on the other side is “expecting validation and affirmation” from other peoples. This clearly shows there is a lack of confidence or uncertainty or more extreme confusion on the part of those doing activities, and that is why they always do their best to obtain validation and affirmation from others.
Those leaders or those who carry out activities with self-confident and trust in what they do as right and good for their cause, then they will not ask anybody else outside to obtain affirmation and validation. Strong leaders with self-confidence sometimes will not publish to social-media on what they do. They will not ask for validation, support and affirmation form others. Even when they receive criticism, they will defend and stand up strong on what they believe and what they do, and they will continue moving forward.
Another aspect that motivate those posting everything they do on social media is Social Comparison. This is another psychological motivation for engaging in constant sharing on social media. Individuals tend to compare themselves to others on social media, leading to feelings of envy or inferiority if they perceive others as having a more exciting or successful life. By sharing their own activities, individuals seek to portray themselves in a positive light and create a favorable image of themselves to their social media followers.
The third aspect is “fear”. The fear of missing out (FOMO) is also a driving force behind individuals’ constant sharing on social media. Individuals may feel pressured to constantly post and update their activities to avoid feeling left out or disconnected from their social circle. This can create a sense of anxiety and pressure to constantly be online and engaged with social media.
Research has shown that excessive use of social media and constant sharing can have negative effects on individuals’ mental health and well-being. Studies have linked high levels of social media use to increased feelings of loneliness, depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. The constant need for validation and comparison with others can lead to feelings of inadequacy and dissatisfaction with one’s own life.
To maintain a healthy balance in social media usage, individuals can take several steps. First, they can limit their time spent on social media and set boundaries for when and how often they engage with it. It is also important for individuals to be mindful of their motivations for sharing on social media and to seek validation and self-worth from within, rather than relying on external sources.
It is important for us to promote what we do to websites and social media, platforms in order to promote our cause. However, too much information on social media, particularly postings of pictures in every move we do, more specifically in a struggle against a modern nation-state like Indonesia is not only risky for the movement and individuals involved, but it does display some psychological holes that require some mending to be done soon.
It is important to understand that in one side getting validation and support on social-media does not necessarily mean the people are supporting us. On the other side, posting everything leaders of liberation movement do on social-media does show some negative aspects. Particularly psychologically, it does show the leaders do not have enough self-confidence, and therefore, fear is ruling over the leaders.
