It is a curious paradox that schizophrenia might be imagined as a condition of being both less or too much of whomever we might be. An intricate balance is lost.

A paradox seems to have arisen in that the high accord attached to the self appears to be associated with an increase in misery and insecurity, if the relatively recent increase in self-harm, depression and suicide among young people may be considered indicators of this disturbing trend.

In particular, we all need to read and absorb the analysis of Michael Hogg, professor and chair of social psychology at Claremont Graduate University (see Scientific American, September 2019, pp. 79–81). He shows that a state of ‘self-uncertainty social identity’ is fodder for the internet ‘information nodes’ like Twitter and Facebook. These ‘I-do-belong-here’ platforms keep participants feeding on the amplified disinformation that everyone inside the group is better than everyone outside it, and that only inside are we safe. This repetitive, stupefying experience is its own kind of interruption of independent thinking, if not a killer of it.

The vulnerable child in each of us gets caught between the urge to be himself and the fear that doing so will bring shame and humiliation. The temptation to stay unseen (and, thus, safe) is strong.

It stands to reason that social media is shaping our behavior in ways that make sharing problems, mistakes, and failures harder than ever. Both research and firsthand accounts focus on the harmful effects of constant exposure to others’ success, fun, and photoshopped perfect looks. Explicit mentions of failure, or failure avoidance, are rare, and social media’s emphasis on unblemished successes further inhibits healthy attitudes toward failure. Spending considerable time on social media creates a risk of seeing ourselves as failures by comparison to the edited lives that others are living.