Being in college, coupled with being immersed (沉浸的) in social media means students are constantly surrounded by peers and their profiles (个人资料). “I am so pleased to announce that I have received an internship (实习工作).” If I opened my LinkedIn(a social network for job seekers, professionals and business)right now, the probability of me seeing posts of this kind is 100 percent.
I know the idea of comparison via social media has been studied and discussed a lot, but what we don’t put enough emphasis on is the physical and personal impact it can have on students. When students look at achievements and positions held by their peers, it is easy to feel as though they are not doing enough. When we go to career fairs and stand in lines for hours to not receive an interview, it is easy to feel as though there isn’t a bright future ahead. When we study in the library to improve our GPA (Grade Point Average) so as to get a job, it is easy to feel as though we have no fun.
It is easy to feel this way when we are immersed in what we think our peers’ lives and achievements look like. It can be easy to assume that the girl, who is doing two jobs, is a leader in three clubs, is taking 22 credit s and has an awesome internship lined up for the summer, is so happy and it’s going to be successful. However, what we don’t see are the three hours of sleep she gets each night or the lack of nutrition in her meals or that she is unable to keep up with her social relationships.
“One of the people we judge the most is ourselves. When we compare, we build on that judgment we make on ourselves in a negative way,” says Teri Pipe, Arizona State University’s chief well-being officer. This is not to say that it is impossible to do all those things, but it also important to know yourself and what you value when deciding what you want to do. “We should come back to the balancing point to understand that each of us has something important to do and serve in the world, which is as unique as your fingerprint,” says Pipe. By removing yourself from other people’s lives and things that have happened in the past or could happen in the future, you can allow yourself to be fully immersed in the present to enjoy and cherish what you’re doing.
The mental impacts of stress can also lead to physical pain. “When you are comparing yourself to someone, you start questioning yourself, and so you either make some changes blindly or feel defeated, and stop doing critical thinking,” says Jamie Valderrama. She is a lecturer in the university’s Schools of Social Work, which is one of the largest and most diverse social work program s in the US. “You might start feeling happiness in your heart, or your breathing and heart rate might accelerate. By paying attention to the body, you can take a step back and take preventive measures to make sure you calm the reaction down to handle the issue quickly in a positive way.”
12. What do we know about the profiles the author often sees on LinkedIn?
A.They often contain false information. |
B.They completely show the positive side. |
C.They focus on one’s working experience. |
D.They usually show a person’s uniqueness. |
13. What makes students feel stressed on social media according to the author?
A.Their peers’ relaxed life. |
B.Their peers’ high GPAs. |
C.Their peers’ good luck. |
D.Their peers’ success. |
14. What is mainly discussed in Paragraph 3?
A.How your peers are misunderstood in general. |
B.The price of looking perfect on social media. |
C.What the average girl on social media is like. |
D.The reasons why one can become successful. |
15. Why does Teri Pipe suggest we keep away from other people’s lives?
A.They could be negative. | B.They are rather ordinary. |
C.They could discourage us. | D.They tend to be unrealistic |