Love Blocking People On Social Media? That’s A Sign of Egomania, Says a Psychoanalyst

While most of us mainly use social media to stay up to date with our family members, close friends, past classmates, work colleagues, and even casual acquaintances, there’s no denying the online world has gotten more toxic now than it was several years ago. Yes, it’s still fun to interact with buddies, share memes, and watch funny vids but sometimes we just can’t help but feel down because of the amount of negativity and debates out there.

So what do you do when you find yourself getting into arguments with one or more of your contacts? Blocking them would be the right thing to do, right? Well apparently, an expert believes otherwise.

In a Unilad article, we read how psychoanalyst and cognitive hypnotherapist Steve McKeown explained that blocking people because of small arguments is actually a sign of egomania.

McKeown said:

“What your friends or others comment about you is their choice. How you choose to react is your choice. This is where the problems begin! A challenge to our egos!”

He further pointed out:

“This then creates resentment and makes you feel they don’t deserve to be part of your world or virtual life.

“The options are simple, either ignore them or block them!

“Blocking seems the easiest option to avoid feeling aggravated, frustrated and anxious.”

Blocking people doesn’t mean the issues are done and gone, said McKeown.

“Blocking simply becomes normalized, easy. The issue may disappear in virtual world but not in real life.

“The issue doesn’t disappear. You are compounding and reinforcing not dealing with your problem.

“You are only running away… Until you bump into them either at the local shop, gym, or park.”

In short, blocking, according to McKeown is simply a band aid solution that doesn’t really solve problems. He likewise said that our social media interactions sometimes mirror our own “insecurities, low self-esteem and a need to be accepted.”

So for those who are too quick to block, there’s a big likelihood that they may be “self consumed or absorbed” and “egomania” can be used to “indirectly describe them along with a deep seated low self esteem.”

The expert concluded:

“We’ve all felt that feeling, all those feelings and emotions we thought we’d dealt with come flooding back.

“You only dealt with the effect and disregarded the cause.

“If you block someone, that deep felt reaction doesn’t simply disappear. It will resurface in some way in the future and most likely at a time when you least expect it through the words of someone else.”

Of course, it is also worth pointing out that blocking can be a useful tool “to combat ever-pervasive online abuse, trolling and even stalking, particularly on open discussion platforms such as Twitter,” wrote Unilad.