Instant gratification: Goan youth look to social media for validation

Goa is home to people
with various different backgrounds on social media, ranging from people who
regularly scroll through feeds to those who are full-fledged influencers and
content creators. However, there seems to be a constant need for people,
especially youngsters to post every finer detail of their life on social media
either on Instagram and Facebook stories or Whatsapp statuses. Right from
birthday messages as soon as the clock strikes 12, a new pet in the family or
the last restaurant visited, everything is on display on these platforms.

Zohar Sheikh, an
upcoming content creator from Saraswat Vidyalaya College, Mapusa, says, “If
you’re at a good place, you would rather share it on your stories, status or
feed than keep it to yourself. Just so that others can watch it and appreciate
the beauty of the place or person. Secondly, they also learn that you were at
the place at that particular time which is why we upload immediately.”

However, he also
points that instant uploads can also be dangerous. “A disadvantage for those
who have ‘haters’ among the people they know is that they might be waiting for
your stories or posts and might stalk you on social media to strike you in a
bad way at the right moment. Even a robbery can take place like this. For
example, you upload a story that you’re out and a person stalking can go to
your house knowing you’re not at home and rob you. So think wisely about how
you post stuff and with whom you’re sharing it.”

Shubham Naik, a Mass
Communication student at Don Bosco College, Panjim, speaks about the
psychological effect posting instantly has based on his experience. “People get
likes, comments and views, which cause a dopamine rush. Dopamine has been
released by our brain for millions of years as a reward for things we do, and
also it is required for our survival; however, now you can see many big
corporate businesses are taking advantage of this mechanism. Social media is an
addiction”, he says, adding that social media has eventually turned into one of
the biggest influences in this generation.

“This has some really
interesting psychology to it. I’ll discuss each person’s three most significant
cases here. When someone feels down, excluded, or like their life is without
substance, they desire a brief moment of attention. They also experience a
dopamine rush whenever they see a fresh comment or like, which urges them to
post more like that on their feed. They only have short-term plans for
recognition, attention, and stardom, which they believe to be wonderful, but
they are unaware of how much this is diverting them from their daily
activities,” says Isha Naik, student of S S Dempo College of Commerce and
Economics, Bambolim.

At an age where
youngsters struggle to be accepted in their peer circle and are subjected to a
ton of peer pressure, social media is a platform that teenagers stress about.
Anish Nayak from Tilamol is a BBA student of the Rosary College of Commerce and
Arts, Navelim. He shares that social media is how students and youngsters stay
trendy and can be easily influenced too. He says, “To stay relevant and to ‘fit
in’ people start posting continuously. This is what gives one social acceptance
which is necessary for an individual in a group so that they don’t feel like an
outcast. Social acceptance is very important for a person’s self confidence.”

Content creators and
influencers have a different say as