Living For Likes: 5 Ways Insecure People Use Social Media

There's no way to deny it: Social media is a huge part of our daily lives. It’s a useful tool to connect millions of individuals around the world and it's great for sharing opinions and thoughts about, well, basically anything.

While it's true that social media allows for a lot of freedom, it's also true that far too many people use it the wrong way. There comes a point in which using (or rather, overusing) social media will make you anything but social.

Many insecure people fall into this trap and rely on social media to mask insecurities. In reality, however, doing this only magnifies insecurities. Here's how:

1. They use it as an outlet for constant complaining.

We all know at least one person who turns to social media to constantly do one thing: complain about EVERYTHING imaginable. Whether it's about an ex or school or just life in general, these people don't hesitate to make a Facebook status or tweet about it… like maybe five times a day.

If you're upset or have a problem with something, not everyone in your social network needs to know about it. It's possible that some insecure people would rather state their feelings behind the safety of a screen rather than talk to a close friend, but it's still not the best way to go.

Maybe these people feel as though they can't actually "talk" to someone out of fear of judgment, but truthfully, more people will likely judge you when you turn to social media with your complaints. Just talk to someone close to you to make yourself feel better.

And, if you have a problem with someone, don't make a status about it. Doing so not only reveals insecurity, but also immaturity.

2. Stalking

Most of us are guilty of this, whether or not we choose to admit it. When someone turns to Facebook to obsess over people, it becomes an issue.

I can't tell you how many people I know who scroll through the same person's profile pictures over and over again. Your Facebook page is meant to be your page. Stop stalking other people -- it’s a waste of your time. Just do you!

3. Social media runs their lives.

These are the people who check Twitter, Facebook and Instagram so constantly that it deems sustaining a normal conversation impossible. They are so invested in the "social" world that lives in their screens that they neglect the REAL social world.

Well, there’s more to life than just checking and updating your feeds. It's amazing how much someone can learn about you if you just put your phone down and actually talk to people.

4. Constantly checking “likes”

Imagine this scenario: You post a photo or a status and every hour (or more), you scroll through your list of people who liked whatever it is that you posted. It might sound a bit extreme, but people do it constantly.

There's nothing wrong with posting things on social media, but there's a lot wrong with obsessing over whether or not people approve of what you post. Who cares if someone “liked” your status or not? Who cares if you don't get as many "likes" for your default photo as your friend? Who cares if no one retweeted your tweet?

Insecure people are always seeking some kind of approval for the things they do, but in reality, it shouldn't matter if someone likes something you posted or not. Part of being confident means being able to post things without seeking approval. Stop caring about the "likes."

If you like what you posted, it doesn't matter who else does or doesn't.

5. Stronger focus on posting than being present

I get it: It's important to take photos for the sake of memories. You can't just go to a music festival without taking videos or photos. You can't just explore the beautiful mountain ranges in countries like Australia without taking a surplus of photos.

It's okay to post this stuff on social media after the fact, but it becomes problematic when you post photos and videos just so everyone can see where you've been. Once again, this is about looking for approval from others for what you've seen and where you’ve been. Insecure people do it constantly.

It's good to take photos and videos for memories, but it's better to stay present and take everything in. Don’t capture moments solely for social media because doing so removes you from what's really happening. If you opt out of posting photos and videos, remember that your memories still happened.

So long as you can fully remember the great experience you had, it shouldn't matter if you post anything. Only you need to enjoy the moment. Who cares about what other people think of what you did?

Photo Courtesy: Tumblr