Social Media and Illusion of Belonging by Iqra Khan Turk

In today’s world, social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok have changed how we connect with others. While they’ve made it easier to reach people from all over the world, they also create a strange kind of loneliness—a feeling of being “connected” yet increasingly isolated. Through algorithms, the drive for engagement, and the push for constant interaction, social media creates the illusion of connection while actually deepening feelings of alienation.

Jean Baudrillard, a French theorist, described \”hyperreality\” as a state where the line between real life and its representation blurs. This is supported by research: a 2023 study found that people who frequently compare themselves to the filtered versions of others online, experience a dramatic increase in feelings of loneliness and inadequacy.

People start replacing real-life friendships with these one-sided \”relationships.\” Unlike true friendships, parasocial relationships are built on a lopsided emotional investment—one designed not for connection, but to keep us hooked and engaged for commercial purposes. Social media isn’t just a neutral platform; it’s a system designed to keep us engaged, and it does so by creating “algorithmic enclaves.” This phenomenon, known as the filter bubble, means we get trapped in an echo chamber, reinforcing our existing views while shutting out alternative perspectives. 

This \”digital tribalism\” weakens our ability to engage in diverse, meaningful discussions. A 2021 Pew Research Center study found that 64% of social media users primarily interact with content that confirms their pre-existing opinions, deepening ideological divides. So, those interactions are increasingly homogenous and disconnected from the real world.

The illusion of connection is also driven by dopamine loops, a psychological mechanism where social media gives us tiny bursts of pleasure when we get likes, comments, or notifications. These rewards trigger the brain’s pleasure system. Research shows this digital addiction comes with a price. People who check social media more than 50 times a day are significantly more likely to experience anxiety and depression. Constantly seeking approval online replaces our ability to feel confident in ourselves without external validation.

So, what can we do to reclaim authentic human connection? The solution isn’t to give up technology altogether, but to approach it with more intention. We need to become more aware of how algorithms manipulate us and how social media fosters parasocial relationships. We can also advocate for more ethical tech designs.

The paradox of social media is that while it offers unprecedented opportunities for connection, it often deepens our sense of isolation. By creating hyperreality, fostering parasocial bonds, trapping us in algorithmic silos, and feeding our dopamine-driven addiction, social media has built an illusion of connectivity that leaves us emotionally detached. True connection, after all, is about the quality, not the quantity, of our relationships.

About the Author

Iqra Khan Turk is a published poet and writer whose work has appeared in anthologies from Brown Page Publication (India) and TWS Publication (Pakistan), as well as in Mosaic Lit Journal. She is also involved in the literary community, currently working as a Project Manager/Compiler for Brown Page Publication\’s upcoming anthology, \”The Subcontinental Muse.\”