The article, “The Need for Social Acceptance is Crippling Our Society,” by Rachel Lynn, asserts that in our society, desiring to be accepted by others could be harmful. This article was found on a website named The Odyssey Online.

Social Media:

Lynn talks about how social media is the main reason that people have the need to be accepted by their peers. In this generation, we need to portray our fake selves, so people would like us more. Sometimes, people even forget the main reason we are on social media. Over time, people obsess over if they will be liked and looked up to by posting certain pictures on the internet.

In the novel, Fangirl, by Rainbow Rowell, Cath needs to put up her fake self to others because she doesn’t want her actual self to be exposed to her new friends because she is afraid of being judged.

Self Esteem

Lynn also talks about when younger kids portray themselves a certain way, they could get negative feedbacks from others. From those negative feedbacks, the kids’ self-esteem will decrease. She also argues that we do not have to seek for other people’s acceptance because it is unrealistic.

In the begging of the book, Cath was always scared of letting others know that she writes fan fictions. However, the time went on, she realized that she doesn’t always have to try to be accepted by others because she will still be loved by certain people.

Conclusion

From the article and the novel, trying to change yourself just to be accepted by the society isn’t always a good thing. It is better to just be yourself and people will still accept you for who you are.