This can lead to the illusion of popularity. A cycle begins when those excluded post pictures of their own to keep up with other sociable friends. This competition of who appears most popular backfires because the documentation makes those not invited feel left out. The feeling of being left out has risen, with girls, frequent users of social media, feeling excluded by friends who hang out without them (Twenge). Stephen Marche used the term “lonely sulking” in “Is Facebook Making Us Lonely?” to describe scrolling through Facebook and feeling depressed at everyone’s seemingly perfect lives. In an ironic twist, social media has given more loneliness to those wishing to avoid …show more content…
Talking directly to this representative is a great source of insight to a younger generations mind instead of speculation. Athena, a pseudonym, reported anxiety over how people will respond to her posts. Focusing on the amount of likes or comments received on social media posts is a “psychic tax” (Twenge). There is an undeniable pressure in the culture of teenagers to have well-liked posts, and this form of popularity has an addictive undertone. People will pay for smartphone applications to build their like count, which I think is shallow and unnecessary. Teenagers seek validation online to increase their self-esteem, and I am curious about the psychology behind receiving gratification from feedback in the form of likes and