On May 31, 2014, in a remote part of David’s Park, Wisconsin, three girls met each other. They are no strangers to one another, having been classmates.
The girls’ names are Geyser, Weier, and Leutner. Without warning, Geyser and Weier pulled out a knife and began stabbing Leutner with the massive five-inch blade.
In total, they stabbed the girl (19) times, so severely that the victim suffered injuries to her vital organs.
But, most shocking of all, after the attack, they calmly tell Leutner to lie down and leave her there to her own defenses. As luck would have it, the little girl managed to crawl to a nearby road, where a passing cyclist found her and called for an emergency.
And after a grueling six-hour surgery, Leutner would survive, albeit with lots of trauma. Her attackers were arrested later that day in possession of the bloody knife, and upon interrogation, they disclosed that they committed the offense to meet a fictional character called The Slender Man.
Social Media Validation Epidemic
The Slender Man (also called Slenderman, Slender, or Slendy) is a fictional supernatural character that originated as a creepypasta Internet meme created by Something Awful forum user Eric Knudsen (also known as “Victor Surge”) in 2009. Morgan Geyser, now 22, stabbed her classmate, believing that it would earn her the right to be a servant of Slenderman.
According to The Guardian, she is set to be released from the Wisconsin psychiatric hospital, where she has been for the last seven years. Her counterpart in the crime was released in 2021.
At the time of their arrest, the two girls who were still in possession of the bloody knife informed officers that they had committed the heinous act so as to meet with Slenderman.
At the dawn of the internet came the possibility of interconnecting people beyond cultural, social, and geographical distances. And it gave birth to social media, with the earliest examples being sites like Myspace and YouTube. Since its advent, social media has transformed every aspect of human life.
From how we trade, interact, date, to our perceptions, fashion, health lifestyles, and mannerisms, every aspect of human life can be found on the internet. And with it, a new form of behavior, social media validation.
Also Read: US Embassy Reveals Social Media Details Kenyans Must Provide in Visa Application
Social media validation refers to the process by which individuals seek confirmation or approval from others through digital interactions, such as likes, comments, and shares. This need for validation is driven by the desire to boost self-esteem, enhance social status, and fit in with others.
While social media can provide a sense of community and connection, excessive reliance on external validation can negatively impact mental health, leading to issues like anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem.
Social media posts are often carefully curated, presenting a polished version of reality that, in turn, can lead to unrealistic expectations and comparison.
Why do people seek validation?
There are plenty of reasons why people seek validation on social media. Common reasons include building self-esteem, gaining social status, and fostering a sense of belonging.
While reasons abound, it is the constant connectivity facilitated by social media, albeit false, that has fostered an environment where we feel obligated to share and explain that which was once considered private, thus opening ourselves to constant scrutiny in order to maintain the facade.
Research has proven that excessive social media use can harm a person’s mental and physical well, leading to sleep problems, academic challenges, and daytime fatigue. People, especially women, may become overly dependent on social media, which can significantly impact their daily lives. Signs of addiction include mood changes, anxiety, loneliness, and conflict in relationships.
Various theories suggest that social media use becomes problematic when individuals rely on it to cope with stress or seek validation.
Design elements of social media platforms contribute to compulsive behaviors, similar to gambling. Although there is no official diagnosis for social media addiction, indicators of dependency include mood swings, tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, and conflicts in real-life relationships. Different scales have been developed to assess these issues.
The world is full of case examples of social media validation gone wrong, with often deadly consequences. Here are some highlighted examples of just how bad things can turn out when virtual perception overtakes reality:
Silent-O, Watch Me
Richard Lamar Hawk, popularly known as Silento, is a former American rapper born on January 23, 1998, in Stone Mountain, Georgia.
He gained fame in 2015 with his single “Watch Me,” which garnered over 2 billion views and reached number three on the US Billboard Hot 100, earning him overnight success. But despite his early overnight success, Silento faced multiple legal issues, including a 2021 arrest for the murder of his cousin, leading to a 30-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter.
But perhaps what is most memorable of Silento is the fact that social media fame made and broke him, silencing him in obscurity.
Isn’t that sad! The sudden found fame, coupled with his mental and behavioral anxiety, could have contributed significantly to his downfall. However, his social media validation was the catalyst for his spiral into a state of lockup.
Mass Shooters and their need for social media validation/notoriety
Mass shootings have also been linked to persons seeking social media notoriety and validation as being the worst of spree killers.
Luka Magnotta (Canada, 2012)
Magnotta murdered and dismembered a man, posting the murder video on a shock site with the caption (1 Lunatic, like pick). He also created multiple fan pages and sock puppet accounts to discuss his own crimes. His story inspired the Netflix documentary ‘Don’t F with the Cats.’
Elliot Rodger (Isla Vista, California 2014)
Killed 6 and injured 14 others near UC Santa Barbara, then posted his YouTube manifesto video titled ‘Retribution’ to allegedly punish women for rejecting him and to be remembered before taking his own life. He also wrote a lengthy document describing his life and ideology, emailing the same before the attack.
Parkland Shooter (2018)
Nikolas Cruz, famously known as the Parkland School Shooter, opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, killing 17 in 2018. Before the shooting, Cruz had posted disturbing photos, threats, and pro-gun content on Instagram and YouTube and commented on a video, “I’m going to be a professional school shooter.” His goal was recognition, revenge, and to fulfil violent fantasies.
Christchurch Killings (2019)
In 2019, Brenton Tarrant went on a rampage at Christchurch, New Zealand, killing 51 people at 2 mosques, all while live-streaming the massacre on Facebook and further releasing a 74-page manifesto, all with the aim of inspiring others globally and maximizing attention. The attack would later come to be referred to as the Christchurch attack, which was the worst in the country’s history
Buffalo, NY Shooter (2022)
In 2022, in Buffalo, New York, Payton Gendron attacked a supermarket, killing 10 black people, all while live-streaming the attack on Twitch.
He, like Tarrant, also posted his manifesto and plans on Discord and 4-Chan with the goal of promoting white supremacist beliefs and gaining attention by citing past shooters like Tarrant.
In Kenya, the constant need for social media validation leads to deteriorating mental health, reduced productivity, and societal disconnections, fueled by a constant need for ‘likes’ and shares. Negative consequences include increased cyberbullying, exposure to online predators, and unrealistic portrayals of life that cause anxiety.
Also Read: Elachi Asks God to Protect Ruto from Social Media and Gen Zs
These issues are also national concerns, leading to calls for regulatory frameworks, government collaboration with tech companies and schools, and the implementation of identity verification to protect youth online.
It is essential to recognize the signs of social media dependency and the need for validation from strangers for emotional fulfillment. Social media is not a physical place, but rather a virtual space where strangers meet and share thoughts and ideas.
When you replace emotional connection with social media, you get isolated, a common trait with people suffering from severe depression. Unplug and seek real connection, it is more permanent than a fleeting like or comment.
Follow our WhatsApp Channel and X Account for real-time news updates.
