Year in Review on Cyberspace: Honesty and Balance

As social media is flooded with year-end summaries full of successes, many people feel pressured or self-conscious when comparing themselves to others.

Young people celebrate Tet at the Vietnamese Tet festival - Photo: QUANG DINH

Every Lunar New Year, when the moment of transition from the old year to the new year approaches, cyberspace becomes bustling with year-end summary posts.

These are stories of achievements, honest assessments of hardships experienced, or simply contemplative thoughts at the end of a year.

However, this year-end summary format offers food for thought for both the sharer and the reader.

Spread positive energy

Inspire and share motivation: Many people choose to share their achievements, whether big or small, as a way to encourage themselves and others. Stories of overcoming difficulties, success in work, study or life often spread positive energy, especially at the beginning of the new year.

For young people, this is an opportunity to look back on their journey of growing up, thereby setting clearer goals for the future.

Strengthening social connections: Online space becomes a place for people to share, empathize and connect through personal stories. This is also a way to keep in touch with friends and relatives far away.

The "healing" trend: Being open about difficulties and failures helps many people find sympathy and encouragement from friends and acquaintances on social networks.

"Complaining" posts are not necessarily negative, but sometimes they are a way to release emotions, look at problems and prepare for a new start.

Don't fall into the interaction trap

However, over-the-top year-end summaries sometimes have negative consequences.

The invisible pressure from other people's success: When social media is flooded with year-end summaries full of success, many people feel pressured or self-conscious when comparing themselves to others. This can create insecurity and a sense of failure, especially for those who are struggling in life.

The tendency to over-represent: Some people may unintentionally or intentionally turn the review into a show-off race. This sometimes overshadows the true meaning of the New Year - a time for balance, reflection, and re-energization.

Negative effects of expressing sadness: Although sharing difficulties can be a way to relieve stress, when this becomes a widespread trend, it can create a negative atmosphere and even bring down the mood of others.

Summarizing the past year through social media posts often reminds us of positive values. However, a large number of people are caught in the interaction trap .

Relying on likes, comments, and shares can obscure the real purpose of sharing. Many people spend so much time monitoring responses to posts that they neglect other tasks.

Worse, due to not achieving the desired number of interactions, some people have fallen into an invisible feeling of failure, even depression.

The advice is that when you decide to share, do it for yourself first. Think of it as a form of self-reminder or milestone, rather than seeking approval or judgment from others.

Each person’s impression of summary sharing is often very different. While many people use it as motivation, many others fall into the mentality of comparing, comparing, and even envying the success of others.

We need to remember that everyone has the right to share how they want. Whether they express their successes or struggles on social media is a personal matter, and we have no say in it.

If viewing these posts causes you discomfort or insecurity, you may choose not to view them.

There are many other ways to celebrate Tet in a more positive way: spend time with family, sit down and evaluate yourself over the past year and set goals for the new year.

Lunar New Year is not only a time to look back, but also an opportunity to look forward to positive things in the future.

Whether you are a sharer or a reader, remember that the real value lies in the moments spent with family and friends - moments that are hard to replace.

Choose a balanced, honest and positive mindset to welcome the new year.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tong-ket-nam-tren-khong-gian-mang-su-chan-that-va-can-bang-20250128115233645.htm