The world of social media is a complex one. It has been exposed many times for being fake but still, our minds struggle to differentiate what is real and what is not.

Even though it allows us to interact with different people and run businesses, it has a dark side that has affected so many people's mental health.

It's, therefore, important that we remind ourselves not to take everything we see, hear or read on social media seriously.

Here are five reasons why social media is mostly a false reality:

There is a lot of heavy editing

Photo editing apps have been around for a long time and maybe you've even used one at some point. They're getting better and better each day, and now video editors are catching up.

You would think that you will be able to automatically tell an edited video from a real one but it's not always easy. People are able to change their entire body structures and facial features through these apps.

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What this means is that many people are experiencing deep self-esteem problems and body image issues including celebrities. It's now so bad that when we see real bodies and faces without make-up, it seems strange, which isn't normal.

There is a lot of planning behind the scenes

Along with the editing, there is a lot that needs to be done before a post is made. There is nothing particularly wrong with that, but it does show how unnatural what we see is.

A lot of time is spent looking for the most desirable locations, the perfect lighting and the best angles. Out of a hundred photos, only one or two will make the cut (maybe).

It doesn't reflect people's real mental states

Social media isn't the place to express our deepest fears or real emotions. But we have seen posts where people were vulnerable about looking happy online while being depressed in real life, and this just shows that we are all just humans going through ups and downs.

Knowing this will help you realise that people online aren't always happy and you shouldn't pressure yourself to be happy all the time either.

It's full of false information

The information we come across on social media isn't always real either. In the digital world any news, real or false can spread like wildfire and if you don't learn how to discern, you will fill your mind with lies.

This is also the age of clout chasing so many people can fake it for the public even if it means feigning illness or relationship for the sake of views and followers.

We often show an ideal version of ourselves

Social media 'us' and the real-life 'us' can sometimes feel like two different people. The person online seems more beautiful, more outgoing and more interesting and that can sometimes cause us to compare ourselves to that version in an unhealthy way.

This might seem harmless but you might struggle to catch up with that artificial version.

Mental Health Social Media Living