"Over time, these platforms drifted from their original purpose. People moved from connecting on social media to performing. We perform in pursuit of more views, clicks, likes, shares, and reposts. But, like any performance, competing and comparing soon raised their ugly heads. For millions of people, the most vulnerable being Gen Zers, the comparison trap can lead to jealousy, resentment, envy, or feelings of inferiority."
"There is a German term that, quite frankly, I didn't fully understand until recently. The word is: schadenfreude (pronounced: shod - in - froid - a). It describes the primitive pleasure we feel when misfortune occurs to someone we dislike. Research reveals schadenfreude activates dopamine in our brain, offering temporary relief from our pain, anxiety, or envy. We love it when a rival falls."
Social media evolved from tools for reconnection into spaces for performance driven by views, clicks, likes, shares, and reposts. Performance and visibility incentives incentivize competing and comparing, which can create a comparison trap. Gen Z is particularly vulnerable to comparison, leading to jealousy, resentment, envy, and feelings of inferiority. Anxiety combined with jealousy can foster social disconnect. Schadenfreude, the pleasure at another's misfortune, activates dopamine and offers temporary relief from anxiety or envy. Personal experience illustrates how schadenfreude can precede sorrow or empathy. One practical remedy for social disconnect is performing an altruistic act toward the person who triggers the comparison.
Read at Psychology Today
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