Do you fabricate your profile on Facebook to
earn more likes? Remember that this habit can lead to feelings of shame and
worthlessness later in life.
According to a new survey, almost two-thirds
of social media users lie to "airbrush reality" and make their lives
seem more interesting than they are.
Young adults say they frequently lie about
their relationships, promotions at work and holidays on social media.
One in 10 teenagers admit their subsequent
recollections of the events they wrote about have already been distorted, Daily
Mail reported.
The youngest are at the most risk, with 16% of
18 to 24-year-olds admitting that their memories have "absolutely"
been compromised.
Some of these youngsters may succumb to
"digital amnesia", believing their own versions of events and
forgetting what really happened, revealed the survey commissioned by social
networking site, , where users post anonymously.
It found that 68% "embellish, exaggerate
or outright lie when documenting events on social media".
"The dark side of this social conformity
is when we deeply lose ourselves or negate to the degree that we no longer
recognise the experience, our voice, the memory or even the view of ourselves,"
warned lead author Richard Sherry, clinical psychologist and founding member of
the Society for Neuropsychoanalysis .
When this happens, feelings of guilt and
distaste towards ourselves can create psychological problems, including
anxiety, the authors noted.
