No likes again

Please don't take this picture to mean that I'm begging for likes. :) Of course I'm happy about likes too, but that's not my intention. My actual background is that I had a long conversation with my students on Friday about feelings of inferiority. Many students have shared how comparing themselves to others on social media lowers their self-esteem. That's where I came up with the idea for this picture: Maybe, like me, you also know the feeling of how addictive social media can be and how much you sometimes hope for positive confirmation from others. When confirmations like this come, it feels good. But if none come, it can weigh us down emotionally. Maybe this picture and this text encourage us to take a moment to step back and think about what mechanisms are working in us. Such moments of self-reflection are very important for self-esteem. Maybe this picture will help me remember that. Maybe this text helps you too.