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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Culture & Society

Digital Showcase: The Phenomenon of Self-Image Displayed on Social Media

From Republika · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Sources not specified Context piece
  • Young Indonesians are increasingly curating perfect self-images on social media, leading to social anxiety and self-comparison.
  • Psychologists link this phenomenon to self-concept issues, comparing digital self-presentation to retail store displays.
  • Experts warn that a wide gap between an idealized online persona and one's true self can cause psychological distress.

The curated perfection of online identities is fueling a rise in social anxiety and self-comparison among young Indonesians. This trend, where users meticulously select photos, adjust lighting, and delete less-than-ideal posts, has become commonplace, particularly among students and young professionals.

The process of viewing and evaluating oneself is constantly at play.

— William JamesDescribing the dual nature of self-awareness in humanistic psychology.

Psychologists and communication experts connect this behavior to self-concept issues, a key area in Humanistic Aesthetics. The process of viewing and evaluating oneself, as described by William James, is constantly at play. This digital self-curation mirrors practices in retail, where attractive items are displayed prominently while less appealing ones are hidden.

Psychological well-being is not determined by success in building a perfect image in front of others, but by the courage to live in harmony with one's true self.

— Prof. Bagus TakwinExplaining the link between self-concept and mental health in the digital age.

Professor Bagus Takwin of Universitas Indonesia highlights the distinction between an "ideal self," often shaped by external expectations, and the "real self," which is authentic. He emphasizes that psychological well-being stems not from projecting a perfect image, but from living authentically. The greater the disconnect between the displayed ideal self and the felt real self, the higher the potential for anxiety.

The wider the gap between the ideal self displayed and the actual self felt, the greater the potential for anxiety.

— Prof. Bagus TakwinHighlighting the psychological consequences of inauthentic online personas.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Republika in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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