We are losing our identities: It’s time we stop it.

Dear Editor,

When we first threw ourselves into lockdown during the first glimpse of COVID-19, many people had a difficult time keeping themselves busy. There isn’t much you could do in a world-wide pandemic, but social media brought joy to many. People see it as a place to be creative, connect with friends, to discover new things- to be themselves. In reality, it isn’t always like this. 

From current statistics, 53% of our world’s population uses social media in their daily lives.

 For as many people out there who are respectful and properly use social media, the same amount of people do the opposite. There are millions of hate comments in the world, and not everyone can take them in a good way. They might read it and just ignore it, but many people think that the comment is true. They think that they aren’t good enough, or that they need to change themselves to fix it. This can get to serious measures, such as depression- not everyone can handle hate. Of course, this side of social media isn’t only shown through hate comments. Even just scrolling through other people’s posts can make you feel this way, wanting to be like that person.

Whether it be about a new trend, different clothing, or maybe even changing your personality, social media has influenced others to change themselves into a different person. It’s almost as if they are destroying their real identity just because others told them to.

What I am asking is that we all come together for once- not arguing, or ruining someone’s day. We all matter in this world, and the only way we can get through times like these is by supporting everyone. It’s time that we take a stance for once, and help stop the spread of negativity online. For those who feel that they are getting bullied through social media, I want to ask you to stop and think about it, and remember that we are all different. It doesn’t matter what other people say about you, all that matters is your identity, because that is something you can’t lose.

Sincerely,

Aarushi Bommidi

Eighth Grade

Fairfax