News JVTech Do not lend your smartphone to a scopophobe
Published on 30/12/2022 at 12:40
Smartphones and image have taken a very important place in our social lives. With the rise of Facebook, Twitter or even Instagram, new problems arise with regard to the image that we circulate of ourselves. But then, can we really be afraid of our own image?
Scopophobia, what is it?
First, it is important to explain etymologically what scopophobia means. We find the Greek roots “Skopeo” and “phobos”, which mean respectively “to watch” and “fear”.
Many people run away from camera lenses, even instinctively.. This embarrassment in front of the camera is obviously born of even deeper social foundations, such as anxiety or other assimilated phobias. But of course, social networks have something to do with it since they actively participate in this image search. A bit like brands, new people have imposed themselves via distribution channels that come out of the elitism of television or radio. Thus, we have seen the birth of influencers, individuals who give of themselves on social networks to transmit information, ideas, or simply entertainment content.
The image then becomes important since it allows us to question ourselves vis-à-vis what we represent in today’s society. Many personalities stand out, such as DiabloX9 in gaming at the time of the first gaming influencers, and now we can talk about ReubeuDeter or Inoxtag.
These people display their faces to the whole of France, via communication channels that seem familiar to us. Technically, anyone can get started on Tik Tok or even YouTube, the question still remains to break into an environment that is becoming more and more elitist.
The photo can be perceived as a source of anxiety but also of complex for individuals lacking in confidence. Seeing how the people around us perceive us can bring out fears, especially that of judgment, or even paranoia.
Imagine realizing at the end of the day that your clothes weren’t very appropriate or that your hair wasn’t well groomed during your job interview. The image has always been important, but social networks mark a new turning point for this phobia.
Instagram, Twitter, Facebook: the era of the even more advanced image
Instagram is literally the social network of images. Many personalities use this social network to broadcast a beautiful image of themselves, whether through photoshoots, or slices of their lives that put them well forward.
Scopophobia therefore takes on a new dimension with the advent of this over-mediatization of personalities on social networks. We compare ourselves to others, even people our own age, who, for us, “have done better than us”.
This scopophobia is therefore fueled by these communication channels that make us fear that we are not “good enough” for those around us, even for people who pass on the street.
Modern smartphones allow us to take even more precise photographs, which can potentially bring out our flaws. A skin that is too oily, spotty, or even the impression that our mouse is too tense, and presto! Our self-esteem can soar.
These phenomena of scopophobia are increasingly studied by psychologists and communication professionals, who perceive in this phobia a real continuity with the symptoms of anxiety and the fear of being rejected.
