“You Got This!”: New Study Analyzes Toxic Positive Culture On Social Media And How Common Phrases Actually Harm Users
If you are an avid social media user– and let’s face it, most of the world is– then you have definitely encountered toxic positivity.
Even the name “toxic positivity” sounds quite counterintuitive, but that’s because it is. The phenomenon involves people who, in an attempt to be uplifting, are inadvertently ignorant or apathetic to the challenges of a situation.
Let’s take LinkedIn, one of the most popular professional networking sites, as an example. Aspiring career professionals often document their journey on the platform, and some even provide a glimpse into their job search efforts.
Have you ever seen the phrases, “You can do this!” or “It will all work out!” commented on a LinkedIn post about a failing job search? If so, these are prime examples of toxic positivity– which ignore the weight of the situation and claim that the original poster has the sole power to change their fate.
And one psychologist, Margo Lecompte-Van, became utterly sick of seeing the same tired and toxic comments on various online platforms.
“As a social media user, I was constantly confronted with toxic positive language on Facebook, Linkedin, and other social networking services. I noticed that my Facebook posts mostly received cookie-cutter comments that were overly positive, even when I shared negative experiences,” Margo recalled.
In turn, she decided to launch a study to figure out if toxic positivity is a prevalent issue for other users.
Margo began by gathering over seven hundred Facebook posts and thousands of comments about endometriosis– a rare medical condition. Then, she analyzed the linguistic structure of each post and its respective comments.
What Margo found is that most linguistic patterns could be deemed “toxic positive” and follow a pattern of “X is Y.” For example, “You are an endo warrior,” or “You are a fierce lioness of a woman.”
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Additionally, the second most common form of toxic positivity included commands. For instance, “Have faith” or “Don’t give up!”
But, by using symbolic images such as “warriors” or “lionesses,” commenters are suggesting that people with Invisible Chronic Conditions (ICCs) have complete control over their bodies and can prevent themselves from falling ill.
“This may instead come across as dismissive and distant,” Margo said.
So, while you may think that you are reassuring others with these seemingly positive comments, there are potential negative effects that could harm the original poster.
In fact, such language could even prevent people from coming to terms with their diagnosis or processing any grief-related emotions.
In turn, it is imperative for both posters and commenters to be aware of toxic positivity online and how this language could leave you feeling unheard.
Moreover, how to avoid perpetuating the phenomenon and take care of your own mental health in the face of it.
First, if you believe that you are being exposed to too much toxic positivity, it may be best to switch social media sites.
Some platforms have more content control guidelines, and there are also smaller group environments where interactions are more personal.
And if these options are not feasible for you, it may be helpful to refrain from scrolling and posting on social media until you have a chance to process your own emotions in a situation.
Finally, if you believe that you may be contributing to toxic positive culture, there are a few key steps you can take.
Primarily, always remember to think before you post. Consider how your words might be received by others, and try to use phrases that are compassionate– not pushy or assumptive.
Also, be aware of the hidden messages in popular phrases such as “You’ve got this!” By declining to comment on the negative contents of a situation and skipping to a positive, others may feel as though you do not actually care about their challenge.
And if you are struggling to figure out the best thing to say to someone who is facing a hardship, the best thing is to just be authentic. If you truly speak your mind– without using auto-suggestion– social media may become a bit more “human.”
To read the study’s complete findings, which have since been published in Applied Corpus Linguistics, visit the link here.
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