Trends How Social Media and Technology Drive Perfectionism

By Michael Cerreto

It's becoming increasingly common to link perfectionism with technology, specifically social media's impact on perfectionistic tendencies. Studies are starting to explore how platforms like social media can worsen perfectionism, especially among young adults and teenagers, thanks to the idealized images of life often shown there.

Social Media Drives Perfectionism

Did you know that social media has played a significant role in increasing perfectionism? Social media can make us feel like we're constantly competing with others because we feel not good enough and want to look perfect to everyone. This competitive mindset is a big problem because social media is essential to young people (Flett and Hewitt, 2020).

According to an article in The Irish Times (2022), social media has significantly affected girls and their well-being. This impact is linked to eating disorders and body image disorders like body dysmorphic disorder. It's essential to explain to children that they are good enough as they are. Setting some limits and boundaries around social media use is also crucial.

Social Media Drives Unrealistic Standards

Social media usage creates self-oriented (self-pressure) and socially prescribed (societal pressure) perfectionism. Using social media can make us set unrealistically high standards for ourselves, believing that we must meet those standards to be accepted by others. Social media encourages us to compare ourselves with others and get immediate feedback, which can make us feel pressured to be perfect all the time (Casale and Fioravanti, 2021).

Impact of Smartphones and Technology

Appel et al. (2022) examined how perfectionism affects smartphone use. They found that perfectionists use their smartphones more and have more problems with them. This high use might be because perfectionists use social media and their phones to look for validation or escape the stress of being a perfectionist. It's like a cycle that makes them depend more on their phones and feel more pressure to be perfect.

The impact of technology on perfectionism is quite noticeable in the workplace. Remote work technology can increase work-related perfectionism. The constant connectivity offered by technology blurs the boundaries between work and personal life, leading employees to feel pressured to be available and perform at high levels at all times. This connectivity can cause stress and burnout, which is unsuitable for anyone (Smith et al., 2023).

Trap Of Constant Connectivity and Comparison

The trend of perfectionism linked to technology use, mainly social media and smartphones, is a growing concern. Constant connectivity and the ability to compare oneself with others on these platforms can contribute to developing and maintaining perfectionistic tendencies. 

References

Flett, G. L., & Hewitt, P. L. (2020). The perils of perfectionism in sports and exercise. Current Opinion in Psychology, 36, 28-32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2020.04.013

The Irish Times. (2022, March 30). Social media's role in the perfectionist's life. https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/parenting/social-media-s-role-in-the-perfectionist-s-life-1.4802907

Casale, S., & Fioravanti, G. (2021). Why narcissists are at risk for developing Facebook addiction: The need to be admired and the need to belong. Addictive Behaviors, 76, 312-318. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2017.08.038

Appel, H., Gerlach, A. L., & Crusius, J. (2022). The interplay between Facebook use, social comparison, envy, and depression. Current Opinion in Psychology, 36, 44-48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2020.06.020

Smith, M. M., Saklofske, D. H., Stoeber, J., & Sherry, S. B. (2023). The Big Three perfectionism scale: A new measure of perfectionism. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 41(1), 14-25. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734282920911114