Anybody who has spent time on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter knows that these social media platforms are great places for people in society to express themselves. No matter what your background may be, there is always a person whom you can relate to and share your feelings with on social media.
However, have you ever asked yourself, “Why is this person oversharing his personal information to these untrustworthy people?” It’s actually a lot deeper than you can imagine.
According to the Illinois WorkNet, oversharing is fueled by our innermost insecurities. If you really think about it, it’s not really our fault that we overshare on social media. Social media heavily encourages us to heavily express ourselves in ways that we might not even take note of or notice!
Take an innocent looking Instagram story of the newest iPhone that just came in stock. If we don’t have that product, then we cannot post about it. This will lead us to believe that society has passed us over, and that we’re just washed up beings, living without anyone taking notice of us or our belongings.
An article posted on Eyeris suggests that oversharing can actually be caused by an addiction to the internet. Those people who overshare feel that they have fans of some sort. Also there is a lot of self-guilt that comes after oversharing online.
Believe it or not, for the group of older people above the age 35, oversharing might not be an issue. In a Wired article, it states that some people might have overshared so much on the internet that they are now unaware of the things they have said. They may now choose to share their thoughts in the direct messages of Instagram or Twitter. The article also alludes to the fact that Mark Zuckerberg confirmed that people are becoming more aware of oversharing, and that’s why they use the private messaging section of those platforms.
Oversharing can also cause other people depression. Another person can see the fun you’re having and get emotionally distraught about it. This is very unappealing for the socially awkward type of people.
As we continue to use social media platforms, it is important to never have the wrong mindset that your life revolves around social media. It is important to not let social media take control of your life in a negative way. Everything in life has a limit to it, whether it be TV, work, or school.
