by Elvan Unlu
In addition, constant exposure to toxic perfection may also precipitate chronic dissatisfaction with life due to the discrepancy between their online perfect personas (or ideals) and reality. Additionally, exposure to “perfect” self-presentations on social media may trigger body image concerns for some individuals [3]. As a result, they may try to present themselves differently on their social media profiles and try to replicate that look in real life, adopting unhealthy habits (e.g., unhealthy diets) or behaviours to achieve it in a short time. For instance, the built-in photo filters in some applications make people look so different from how they actually do, making it impossible to recognise them in real life. So, this kind of discrepancy between the actual appearance and representations, and the filtered appearance and idealised representations, may undoubtedly create some interpersonal complications for people who frequently use these filters in their photos.
Apart from these, having perfectionistic tendencies has started to be accepted as a bragging virtue among societies. Moreover, some people who describe themselves as perfectionists mention this with a sense of pride, and some even note having a symmetry obsession alongside perfectionistic tendencies [10], as if these traits reflect a certain distinctiveness or superiority.
Good is No Longer Enough
More than one in four adolescents feels an urge to be “perfect”, in part, due to the popularity of social media platforms and the new social norms they have created [17]. The meaning of “good” has changed to meaning mediocre, and mediocre is no longer acceptable among adolescents.
The constant injection of toxic positivity bias (or imposed positivity) and self-worth seems to have become a rule of thumb for impressing and attracting followers on social media, as if life is all about having good times and only caring about oneself.
Adopting this “perfect” perspective is also associated with new types of crimes, such as online bullying and harassment, over appearances or in-group/out-group identities [9], leaving people missing the “good” old days.
The Other Face of the Medallion
Looking more widely to the psychology literature, high levels of perfectionistic tendencies are generally associated with psychopathological outcomes, being associated with eating disorders [3], impostor syndrome [16], childhood trauma [2][19], experiences of social isolation [5], anxiety [6], obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) [10], burnout [12], psychache [4], and even suicide risk [11]. People with high levels of perfectionistic tendencies are also more likely to experience feelings of being defeated by life or emotional entrapment [1][11]. So, for a psychologist or a psychiatrist, high levels of perfectionism may act as indicator of a wide range of potential outcomes.
The Debate Over Whether Perfectionism is Healthy or Unhealthy
Historically, perfectionism was defined as a unidimensional construct linked to neuroticism and psychopathology. However, more recently, researchers have defined perfectionism as a multidimensional construct with adaptive and maladaptive facets (i.e., normal and neurotic [7], healthy and unhealthy [15], socially prescribed, self-oriented, and other-oriented) [8].
Even though the debate over whether perfectionism is healthy or unhealthy yielded diverse opinions in the early perfectionism literature (asserting it has positive and negative aspects) more recent studies have reported contradictory findings. They have shown that both forms of perfectionistic tendencies (i.e. perfectionistic strivings and perfectionistic concerns: two superordinate dimensions of perfectionism comprising all of the previously defined forms of perfectionism) [14] are associated with adverse psychological outcomes, including suicide risk, so that both forms of perfectionism may be pernicious if they are experienced at high levels [13][18].
Do not Mistake Outside Appearances for Internal Realities
Regarding today’s social media influencers and others in the public eye, there are many examples of people who suffer from mental health problems. Some of them even share their personal struggles despite their exciting and “perfect” lives. A person is much more than a look. Humans are incredibly complex creatures, which makes it very hard to reduce them to mere appearance, and they are so perfectly imperfect as a whole, both inside and out, with their strengths and vulnerabilities, passions and hesitations, kindness and suspicions, beauty marks and scars.
References
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Suicidal Behaviour Research Laboratory 