英语六级 2020年12月·第3套 Part III Section C (1) 阅读理解（四选一）试卷排版

Why does social media trigger feelings of loneliness and inadequacy? Because instead of being real life, it is, for the most part, impression management, a way of marketing yourself, carefully choosing and filtering the pictures and words to put your best face forward.

Online "friends" made through social media do not follow the normal psychological progression of an interpersonal relationship. You share neither physical time nor emotional conversations over the Internet. You simply communicate photographs and catchy posts to a diverse group of people whom you have "friended" or "followed" based on an accidental interaction. This is not to say that your social media friends can't be real friends. They absolutely can, but the two are not synonymous. Generally speaking, there are no unfiltered comments or casually taken photos on our social media pages. And, rightfully so, because it wouldn't feel safe to be completely authentic and vulnerable with some of our "friends" whom we don't actually know or with whom trust has yet to be built.

Social media can certainly be an escape from the daily grind, but we must be cautioned against the negative effects, such as addiction, on a person's overall psychological well-being.

As humans, we yearn for social connection. Scrolling(滚动) through pages of pictures and comments, however, does not provide the same degree of fulfillment as face-to-face interactions do. Also, we tend to idealize others' lives and compare our downfalls to their greatest accomplishments, ending in feelings of loneliness and inadequacy.

Social media can lead people on the unhealthy quest for perfection. Some people begin to attend certain events or travel to different places so that they can snap that "perfect" photo. They begin to seek validation through the number of people who "like" their posts. In order for it to play a psychologically healthy role in your social life, social media should supplement an already healthy social network. Pictures and posts should be byproducts of life's treasured moments and fun times, not the planned and calculated image that one is putting out into cyberspace in an attempt to fill insecurities or unmet needs.

Ultimately, social media has increased our ability to connect with various types of people all over the globe. It has opened doors for businesses and allowed us to stay connected to people whom we may not otherwise get to follow. However, social media should feel like a fun experience, not one that contributes to negative thoughts and feelings. If the latter is the case, increasing face-to-face time with trusted friends, and minimizing time scrolling online, will prove to be a reminder that your social network is much more rewarding than any "like," "follow" or "share" can be.