How to enjoy your life without the social pressures

Local youth looks at the impacts of social pressures among the youth.

Meet Lungani Mbatha

As a second-year Bachelor of Business Administration student, I spend a lot of time on my laptop. Social media notifications and prompts are always there to lure me into distraction.

I’ve noticed through my teenage years, and now as a young adult, that our social lives have become increasingly influenced by social media. This constant bombardment of the highlights of others’ lives is leading to there being a whole new level of social pressure.

All these factors of social pressure from family and friends often drive us as teenagers and young adults to participate in activities that might harm us or affect our lives. For instance, if we as young people constantly see our friends or people we know, posting videos of themselves abusing substances on social media platforms, we may develop the urge or curiosity to also abuse substances.

Social media has become an ever-present thing in many teenagers’ and young adults’ lives. There is a constant presence and demand to be present on social media platforms that has led to many being pressurised, and soon worn down, to present a certain image of themselves in order to feel good about themselves or get attention. Others feel invisible because they don’t give into these pressures or the demand to keep up with the new trends on the internet.

Academic pressure is another stumbling block for our age group. Many teenagers, especially in matric or those doing their tertiary education, face huge academic pressure to succeed. The consistency of experiencing this pressure can cause them to compromise their mental health and suffer from stress, anxiety, burnout and depression.

As a Growing Champion Change Leader, my focal drive for this time in my life is to create awareness on these issues that often force young people to live their lives according to certain unhealthy standards, denying them the privilege to live their lives to the fullest.

I want to say to each of you, educate yourself about how to say no to harmful things, prioritise your well-being above any achievements and stay true to yourself. Your values are far more important than your number of likes on a post.

Surround yourself with people that encourage you to grow your life, not sell yourself short. I am a music lover; I love to go to music events. Here booze is on sale but I don’t drink. I’ve learnt you don’t have to make the associations others make – I still attend the events but I choose not to drink.

It’s so important to recognise the fact that social media is not always showing the true picture of life. We need to learn to connect with people outside of social media, practise self-care and learn to limit our time on social media.

I’ve learnt that when it comes to academic success, it helps to improve your time management and set realistic goals. Keep up some hobbies, do some exercise and allow yourself to sleep, because success comes from balance and burnout comes from the lack of it.

You have the choice to allow others to press you into their mould, or for you to shape your own future. If you stand for nothing you will fall for anything.

Related Article:

Northcliff Eco Park reopens following festive season closure

The CCIN receives brand new Nissan from Northcliff dealership