Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: Novosibirsk State University –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Open Talks at NSU is a new format of street psychological lectures. During the month, once a week in the courtyard, open lectures and discussions are held on the most vital and important topics: from procrastination and perfectionism to body language and myths from social networks. The topic of the first meeting was "The Dark Side of Social Networks". The expert was Vladimir Ivanov, a psychologist, psychoanalyst, and Jungian analyst.
Carl Gustav Jung is a Swiss psychologist, the founder of analytical psychology. He believed that the main task of analytical psychology is to interpret archetypal images that arise in patients. One of the archetypes proposed by Jung is the shadow, a rejected and suppressed part of the personality that includes negative qualities: aggression, shame, envy, and others.
Vladimir Ivanov suggested examining the dark side of social networks through the prism of Jung’s teachings.
— The shadow is what I don’t know about myself. Accordingly, the opposition to the shadow is what I know about myself. And this is what Jung called the persona. “Persona” is translated from ancient Greek as a mask. And Jung believed that each of us has many masks. By a mask we do not mean hypocrisy, not that we are hiding behind something. We need a mask to adapt to the world. For example, I am wearing a lecturer’s mask now. When I come home, I will take this mask off and put it aside. A lecturer is my social role here and now. I don’t need it in other places. If I come to the office, I am wearing a psychotherapist’s mask. Accordingly, I use my professional skills, knowledge, experience, abilities, and so on. Let’s look at social networks through the prism of the persona and the shadow, — Vladimir Ivanov began his speech.
The personal task of the social network is to present yourself, your mask as a person and try to show yourself in social networks. Vladimir noted the following features of behavior in social networks and spoke about their consequences.
Anonymity
In social networks, we can remain anonymous and behave in communication differently than in real life. On the one hand, anonymity is freedom. On the other hand, it reduces the level of responsibility, so aggression can arise, which develops into trolling, cyberbullying, and so on.
Envy In social networks, we encounter envy when we see our desires in the news feed that we cannot fulfill. For example, buying a desired thing or a cherished trip. There are two types of envy: black – when jealousy and destructive thoughts are born in us. White envy – transforms jealousy into action, we begin to think constructively, and motivation to achieve what we want appears.
Likes and the thirst for recognition Likes and comments boost our inner confidence and self-image. It is a kind of social acceptance. When we receive likes, we feel that society approves of us. A certain number of comments and hearts under a photo make us feel different. A question to think about: are you posting a photo for someone else or for yourself?
Hate and Projection Hate is an expression of hatred and discontent towards someone, and projection is a psychological mechanism in which a person attributes their own negative thoughts and feelings to other people, often in response to someone else's post. What irritates us in others, we do not accept in ourselves. Sometimes, in order to learn something about yourself, you need to do something you would never agree to, because if you forbid yourself to do this, you will lose the opportunity to learn something new about yourself.
Gold in the ShadowsIt's not just bad qualities that can hide in the shadows. Talents and abilities that we notice in other people, we may suppress in ourselves or not even realize that we have them.
– Look, the father is against his son doing ballet, he makes him do boxing. But the boy doesn't want to. And if you gradually raise a boy like that, his desire, his craving for ballet will gradually sink into the shadows, it will become shadowy. But it's not a bad quality to do dance, right? It's wonderful. Why, why not? But this desire will be suppressed and will remain in the shadows. What if the son turns out to be a wonderful ballet master? This is an example of the fact that not only bad things can be in the shadows, – said Vladimir Ivanov.
Memes Laughter is mostly considered a hysterical reaction to unexpected events, and memes can be a defense mechanism for our psyche. We use them because they allow us to escape from our own experiences, we see in them an opportunity to express what we cannot say in words. Memes are universal: looking at them, we understand that the image and meaning are understandable to many people, thanks to which we feel an emotional connection with others and stop feeling lonely.
Cancel CultureCancel culture is also considered the dark side of social media. People unite to “cancel” a person for their actions, which, in their opinion, violate social norms and values. As a result, the object of condemnation loses their reputation, career and much more. Currently, the tool of cancel culture is social media, it is through them that we learn about what is happening, and sometimes become part of the condemning collective.
— If you want to get to know your shadow sides: take a piece of paper and honestly write down what irritates you in the behavior of other people. Gradually, a list of qualities or characteristics appears that you can get to know a little better and try to learn more about yourself. This practice will help us accept our shadow sides and help in the development of our personality.
Another practice: start a journal of questions, write in it before going to bed what irritated you during the day. In general, irritation is a good indicator that you have most likely stepped into the shadows. This means that there is a response to this behavior inside you. And it is very good to record this, pay attention to it and notice it, – Vladimir concluded.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
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