Women Amidst the Social Media Current: Self-Expression, Validation, and Psychological Pressure

In today’s daily activities, it has become commonplace for women to open social media platforms such as TikTok, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram throughout their day. Many reflexively check notifications upon waking or just before sleep. Social media has become an unconscious part of daily routine. This phenomenon indicates that social media is no longer merely a communication tool, but a new social space where individuals seek information, entertainment, relationships, and even social recognition. In Indonesia, internet and social media usage continues to rise annually. Data from the Indonesian Internet Service Providers Association (APJII) shows that the number of internet users in Indonesia has reached more than 221 million people, or around 79.5% of the total population. This large figure demonstrates how increasingly connected Indonesian society is to the digital world. However, behind the convenience offered, an interesting question arises from a psychological perspective: has social media merely changed the way humans communicate, or has it fundamentally altered human behaviour itself? This question is important because various current social phenomena cannot be separated from the influence of social media. The culture of comparing oneself to others, the need to always appear productive, the tendency to seek validation through the number of likes and views, and the anxiety of missing out on information are increasingly common experiences, particularly among teenagers and women. This opinion piece aims to examine how social media influences behavioural changes in women through a psychological perspective, while critically analysing whether these changes are truly the impact of technology or rather a reflection of human psychological needs that have found a new space for expression. In social psychology, human behaviour cannot be separated from the influence of the social environment. The presence of social media creates a new social environment that allows individuals to interact without the boundaries of space and time. Through the process of observation, individuals can learn and imitate various behaviours they see on social media, from lifestyles and communication styles to consumption patterns. This phenomenon can be seen in the emergence of various trends that spread rapidly through social media. From fashion trends, food consumption patterns, to certain lifestyles, all can go viral and be followed by many people. In this context, social media not only disseminates information but also shapes the collective behaviour of society. In recent years, Indonesian society has witnessed the emergence of various phenomena born and developed through social media. One of these is the ‘flexing’ culture, the tendency to display achievements, wealth, or a certain lifestyle to gain attention and recognition from others. This phenomenon is visible in the proliferation of content showcasing luxury holidays, branded goods, academic achievements, and personal lives packaged to appear attractive. Many social media users end up feeling left behind when they see others appearing more successful, happier, or more productive than themselves. Interestingly, what is displayed on social media is often not a complete representation of someone’s life. Users tend to show the best parts of their lives and hide the difficulties they are facing. As a result, social media creates an illusion that other people’s lives are going better than our own. In the author’s view, the main issue does not lie in the habit of sharing personal experiences on social media. The problem arises when individuals start using other people’s lives as a standard to judge their own self-worth. When self-esteem begins to depend on the number of likes, comments, or followers, one’s identity becomes highly vulnerable to social judgments that are temporary in nature. From a psychological perspective, this phenomenon shows that social media has changed the source of individual validation. If previously recognition was obtained through direct interaction and real social relationships, now some individuals seek validation through digital responses that may not necessarily reflect genuine social acceptance. One of the most obvious behavioural changes is the shift in social interaction patterns. Before the development of social media, interactions were mostly conducted face-to-face. Today, a large portion of communication occurs through instant messages, comments, posts, and online video features. This change provides convenience in maintaining social relationships. Individuals can stay connected with friends or family in different locations. However, this convenience also brings certain psychological consequences. Several studies indicate that high intensity of social media use can reduce the quality of direct interaction. An individual may have many online connections but does not always have emotionally deep relationships. As a result, a person can still feel lonely despite having many followers or friends on social media. This phenomenon shows that the quantity of social relationships does not always align with the quality of social relationships a person possesses. One of the most significant behavioural changes due to social media is the increased tendency to engage in social comparison.