To gain deeper insights on the effects of social media on self-presentation and the phenomenon of projecting a “cool” or “tough” image online, Bored Panda reached out to licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Jesse Matthews.
According to Dr. Matthews, the desire to present a more idealized version of oneself online is not a new phenomenon, but rather a continuation of what people have been doing offline for years. “It’s just easier online because it’s not usually happening in real time and you can curate the image that you want to, which is often a more idealized version of yourself than reality.”
“Everyone wants to be cool, however, they define it. And typically guys (and some girls) want to appear tough, which can go hand-in-hand with cool. These are valued traits in society or among some groups, so feeling like you have these attributes gives you self-esteem. This increases through validation in the form of views, likes, or comments.”
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Originally published at www.boredpanda.com