Psychoanalyst and professor at the University, deciphered a little-known logic: for many people, posting everything on social media serves as a support. According to the member of the psychoanalytic association, the ‘self’ seeks to assert itself in the massive visibility and immediate confirmation that social media provides. This exposure, he explained, “is based on a parallel universe, where confirmation from other people serves as existential cement: “I exist because I am seen”. His words go beyond the need to show off. According to the expert, virtual space offers “another, potentially inexhaustible and omnipresent”, and constant exposure becomes an attempt to maintain internal cohesion when self-esteem fluctuates. “The independently published image does not arise from omnipotence, but often from the vulnerability of the ‘self” in the face of absurdity or loneliness,’ he defined.
A window to self-esteem (and constant comparison)
In turn, the university psychologist added another key point: ‘All people seek social meaning. Platforms provide a quick, fleeting and simple sense of importance,’ he emphasised in conversation with Infobae. In his opinion, digital exposure repositions self-esteem, but at the same time feeds a dangerous dependence on external approval. Etchevers warned that the habit of observing edited and scripted lives on social media generates comparisons that generally increase dissatisfaction and anxiety.
The ability to regulate emotions weakens and a strong tendency towards self-criticism emerges: ‘Constant exposure increases the need for external approval, especially among those who already have low self-esteem,’ he says. Looking back at the past in notebooks and albums already seems nostalgic. According to psychoanalyst and author Diana Litvinov, what used to be a personal diary is now public. In Litvinov’s opinion, social media reshapes subjective self-expression: ‘Today, what was once written in private is published for others to see, with a different emotional tone: people choose to show what is close to ideal, rather than what is painful.’
In her opinion, the need to share is based on the desire to feel accompanied, accepted and part of a group. ‘Human sociability exists even in individualistic societies. Social media posts respond to this impulse, trying to get rid of the feeling of loneliness,’ explained the APA expert.
From digital recognition to the price of intimacy: psychological effects
The risks associated with sharing your entire life are as varied as they are profound. Catelli notes that compulsive posting leads to ‘the strengthening of the ideal self’, when the person ‘creates an edited and distant version of the real self’. This distance can destroy identity and cause anxiety, especially when the life “lived” does not coincide with the life ‘shown’. The result, in the expert’s opinion, can be perceptible subjective fragmentation, fuelled by the pressure to always maintain an ideal image.
In turn, he noted that excessive use of social media is not a formal diagnosis of addiction, although it is often associated with anxiety, depressive symptoms and poor emotional regulation. In vulnerable people, exposure increases self-criticism and dependence on ephemeral approvals. According to the APA’s doctor of psychology, posting everything can become a mechanism for combating loneliness and a lack of solid emotional ties. In conversation with Maronho, she described how ‘young people, and increasingly adults, seek identity and belonging on screen.’ She warned that in cases of low self-esteem or self-imposed demands, negative comments can have a devastating effect.
Impact on relationships: communicating or showing off?
Excessive exposure is not limited to personality: it affects relationships. Catelli presented a provocative picture: ‘Intimacy, which used to be a space of meaning between two people, has now become a public stage.’ Couples and friends ‘get caught up in performances for third parties,’ which exacerbates comparisons, jealousy, and misunderstandings. He agreed: ‘The ability to build deep, trusting relationships is lost, and intimacy weakens.’ Even Litvinov herself noted that, although part of life is on display, true intimacy is usually protected, and social media can become a poor substitute for personal relationships.
The phenomenon of “posting everything” on social media goes beyond a simple technological fad. The experts interviewed by Infobae agreed that this behaviour is fuelled by the eternal need to belong, to have an identity and to be important to others. Whether it is a strategy for self-affirmation, a search for companionship or an attempt to protect oneself from loneliness, posting every aspect of one’s life tells a more complex story than it seems at first glance.
