Online Validation: Difference between revisions
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'''Online validation''' refers to the compulsive need for internet-based approval, specifically through | '''Online validation''' refers to the compulsive need for internet-based approval, specifically through digital likes, comments, and followers. Among [[Woman|women]], especially normie or [[Pick Me Girl|pick-me]] archetypes, this has become a primary source of self-worth in the digital age.<ref>Marwick, Alice E. "Instafame: Luxury selfies in the attention economy." ''Public Culture'' 27.1 (2015): 137–160.</ref><ref>Chou, H. T. G., & Edge, N. (2012). "They are happier and having better lives than I am": The impact of using Facebook on perceptions of others' lives. ''Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking,'' 15(2), 117–121.</ref> | ||
For [[Moid|men]], online validation is often tied to their ability to express [[Misogyny|misogynistic]] views publicly without consequence.<ref>Kleinman, Zoe. "The misogyny of online abuse." ''BBC News''. 2021.</ref> Strangely, men tend to claim the opposite: that [[Woman|women]] are more able to be publicly misandrist. However, this ignores the existence of thousands of misogynist forums and websites across the internet.<ref>Ging, Debbie. "Alphas, betas, and incels: Theorizing the masculinities of the manosphere." ''Men and Masculinities'' 22.4 (2019): 638–657.</ref> | |||
==Definition== | ==Definition== | ||
Online validation is the constant pursuit of affirmation through digital feedback. It manifests through dopamine seeking behaviors such as thirst traps, | Online validation is the constant pursuit of affirmation through digital feedback. It manifests through dopamine-seeking behaviors such as thirst traps, performative content, and status chasing.<ref>Meshi, D., Tamir, D. I., & Heekeren, H. R. (2015). "The emerging neuroscience of social media." ''Trends in Cognitive Sciences,'' 19(12), 771–782.</ref> Platforms like [[TikTok]], Instagram, [[Reddit]], and Discord have industrialized the process of ego feeding and attention based self-worth.<ref>Andreassen, Cecilie Schou, et al. "The relationship between addictive use of social media, narcissism, and self-esteem: Findings from a large national survey." ''Addictive Behaviors'' 64 (2017): 287–293.</ref> | ||
==History== | |||
The concept of online validation emerged alongside social | ==History == | ||
The concept of online validation emerged alongside early social networking sites, where users began quantifying their social worth through follower counts and “engagement metrics.”<ref>Baym, Nancy K. ''Personal Connections in the Digital Age''. Polity, 2015.</ref> While it affects both genders, its effect on women has been particularly insidious, with societal conditioning rewarding them only when they’re deemed attractive, agreeable, or submissive.<ref>Tiggemann, Marika, and Isabella Anderberg. "Social media is not real: The effect of ‘Instagram vs reality’ images on women’s social comparison and body image." ''New Media & Society'' 22.12 (2020): 2183–2199.</ref> | |||
Pick-me women, in particular, depend heavily on online validation to maintain their delusions of superiority. Meanwhile, [[Femcel|femcels]] receive little or negative feedback, reinforcing the reality of the pinkpill: that society only values women who appeal to the male gaze. | |||
==Female experience== | ==Female experience== | ||
For | For HMTB and above, online validation acts as both a currency and a curse. They are constantly rewarded for basic selfies, filtered images, or recycled aphorisms.<ref>Dumas, Tara M., Maxwell-Smith, Matthew, Davis, John P., & Giulietti, Paola A. (2017). "Liking, commenting, and sharing on Instagram: Associations with peer belonging and depressive symptoms." ''Journal of Adolescence,'' 55, 41–50.</ref> Platforms encourage them to monetize themselves through attention, leading to a loop of self-objectification, performance, and emotional instability.<ref>Fardouly, Jasmine, and Phillippa C. Diedrichs. "Social comparisons on social media: The impact of Facebook on young women's body image concerns and mood." ''Body Image'' 13 (2015): 38–45.</ref> | ||
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Revision as of 16:03, 29 August 2025
Online validation refers to the compulsive need for internet-based approval, specifically through digital likes, comments, and followers. Among women, especially normie or pick-me archetypes, this has become a primary source of self-worth in the digital age.[1][2]
For men, online validation is often tied to their ability to express misogynistic views publicly without consequence.[3] Strangely, men tend to claim the opposite: that women are more able to be publicly misandrist. However, this ignores the existence of thousands of misogynist forums and websites across the internet.[4]
Definition
Online validation is the constant pursuit of affirmation through digital feedback. It manifests through dopamine-seeking behaviors such as thirst traps, performative content, and status chasing.[5] Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Reddit, and Discord have industrialized the process of ego feeding and attention based self-worth.[6]
History
The concept of online validation emerged alongside early social networking sites, where users began quantifying their social worth through follower counts and “engagement metrics.”[7] While it affects both genders, its effect on women has been particularly insidious, with societal conditioning rewarding them only when they’re deemed attractive, agreeable, or submissive.[8]
Pick-me women, in particular, depend heavily on online validation to maintain their delusions of superiority. Meanwhile, femcels receive little or negative feedback, reinforcing the reality of the pinkpill: that society only values women who appeal to the male gaze.
Female experience
For HMTB and above, online validation acts as both a currency and a curse. They are constantly rewarded for basic selfies, filtered images, or recycled aphorisms.[9] Platforms encourage them to monetize themselves through attention, leading to a loop of self-objectification, performance, and emotional instability.[10]
- ↑ Marwick, Alice E. "Instafame: Luxury selfies in the attention economy." Public Culture 27.1 (2015): 137–160.
- ↑ Chou, H. T. G., & Edge, N. (2012). "They are happier and having better lives than I am": The impact of using Facebook on perceptions of others' lives. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 15(2), 117–121.
- ↑ Kleinman, Zoe. "The misogyny of online abuse." BBC News. 2021.
- ↑ Ging, Debbie. "Alphas, betas, and incels: Theorizing the masculinities of the manosphere." Men and Masculinities 22.4 (2019): 638–657.
- ↑ Meshi, D., Tamir, D. I., & Heekeren, H. R. (2015). "The emerging neuroscience of social media." Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 19(12), 771–782.
- ↑ Andreassen, Cecilie Schou, et al. "The relationship between addictive use of social media, narcissism, and self-esteem: Findings from a large national survey." Addictive Behaviors 64 (2017): 287–293.
- ↑ Baym, Nancy K. Personal Connections in the Digital Age. Polity, 2015.
- ↑ Tiggemann, Marika, and Isabella Anderberg. "Social media is not real: The effect of ‘Instagram vs reality’ images on women’s social comparison and body image." New Media & Society 22.12 (2020): 2183–2199.
- ↑ Dumas, Tara M., Maxwell-Smith, Matthew, Davis, John P., & Giulietti, Paola A. (2017). "Liking, commenting, and sharing on Instagram: Associations with peer belonging and depressive symptoms." Journal of Adolescence, 55, 41–50.
- ↑ Fardouly, Jasmine, and Phillippa C. Diedrichs. "Social comparisons on social media: The impact of Facebook on young women's body image concerns and mood." Body Image 13 (2015): 38–45.