If you talk to three new people every day for 73 years, you'll meet 80,000 people in your lifetime. That's just 0.001% of the world's population. Measuring human interactions has become increasingly complex with the birth of popular social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter). With 4.8 billion social media users worldwide, our social networks seem endless.
But this phenomenon is paradoxical: with increased connectivity comes increased division. Social media platforms have largely eliminated anonymity, making users' socioeconomic status more visible and subject to scrutiny. What people show through the content they post reveals and reinforces divisions in almost irreparable ways. Social media is also a tool for personal branding, especially when it comes to showcasing wealth and legitimizing social status.
There are unspoken expectations when it comes to posting on social media: on LinkedIn, you brag about an award or an internship you accepted; on TikTok, you highlight your personality through humorous, relatable content.
On Instagram, we post highlights from our lives to create an image of our ideal lifestyle. Our feeds are aesthetically pleasing, yet we consciously or unconsciously curate them to showcase the wealth we've acquired through our daily activities and adventures. Our posts depict where we went to high school, our graduation ceremonies, our lavish beach vacations, our summers in Europe, and even the number of friends we have. Most of the time, it seems harmless. But unintentionally disclosing our financial situation creates a digital divide, as it's now easier than ever to determine someone's socio-economic status with just a quick glance at their social media accounts.
Our instinct to categorize the people around us isn't our fault, nor is it necessarily harmful. In the past, categorization helped us determine safety; it allowed us to quickly distinguish between family and strangers. Now, this categorization is dangerous. When we instinctively put people in boxes, we unconsciously deny them access to social and professional opportunities.
Think back to your last interview. Did you spend extra time styling your hair, applying makeup, picking out your outfit, and practicing your pronunciation and word choice skills? We employ these techniques to avoid being categorized. To some extent, we try to reach a standard of professionalism that tends to be rooted in classism.
Social media makes this process more complicated: 70% of employers review applicants' social media profiles. Their goal is to check for possible misconduct or PR issues, but in the back of their minds, social categorization is happening: Applicants may appear more attractive if they have connections or a lifestyle that benefits the company. This epitomizes already discriminatory hiring practices, with jobs aligned with socio-economic status.
Social and economic divides have existed for as long as society has existed, but social media is unique in that it accelerates and deepens these divides. The collective thought process that not posting anything means you clearly have nothing to post forces many of us to publicly announce our current socioeconomic status and endure public criticism.
In the past, if a person of high social status happened to meet someone they liked on the street or in a classroom, they might exchange phone numbers and become friends. Now, however, social exploration often takes precedence over friendship. If a potential friend portrays himself or herself as someone of high class or social status, others may see him or her as an attractive potential friend. On the other hand, if he or she portrays himself or herself as someone of lower status, he or she may be seen as a waste of time.
While social media maintains social stratification, it can also bridge the gap by popularizing activities that were originally associated with those of lower socio-economic status. One great example is thrift shopping. What was once seen primarily as an option to buy cheap clothes is now seen as a creative, unique, and adventurous way to enrich your closet. Social media has the power to make the uncool cool.
When communities discuss common experiences and habits, bonds are strengthened. By creating or accessing content that people can relate to, bonds are quickly formed and people feel seen. So, should we reduce our social media exposure? Or should we continue living an overly public lifestyle and accept the negative consequences as they come?
Sharing personally fulfilling moments with a wider network of people can be an incredibly rewarding experience, and there’s nothing ethically wrong with doing so, but you should respect your own privacy, respect the attributes of others that aren’t posted on your feed, and downplay how others’ social media presence can impact your relationship-building and professional outreach potential.
Take a more privacy-conscious approach to social media, which will help minimize its divisive impact on class divisions and further stratification. Rethink your social media habits for the benefit of a less-than-inclusive world community. Do it for society as a whole, or for yourself, for your future. This year, I am challenging myself to do just that.
Rachel Evans is an opinion columnist who writes about health care and wellness in American politics and culture. She can be reached at evansra@umich.edu.