Spotlighting Remarkable Women and Girls

Double-Tap or Double Trouble? The Social Media Dilemma for Women

The Social Media Dilemma for Women

By Dupe Sanni

In the grand theatre of the 21st century, social media has taken centre stage, draped in filters and hashtags. It promised connection, empowerment, and a platform for every voice. But for women around the globe, has this digital darling become more of a frenemy than a friend?

Let us shift through the feed and find out

The Highlight Reel vs. Reality

First, let us address the elephant in the chat room: the curated perfection of social media. Platforms like Instagram and Facebook are awash with images of flawless beauty, enviable lifestyles, and #NoFilter selfies that, let us be honest, have seen more airbrushing than a celebrity on a magazine cover.

A study by the Royal Society for Public Health in the UK found that Instagram is the worst social media platform for mental health, particularly affecting young women by increasing feelings of inadequacy and anxiety (source: RSPH, 2017). When your morning face is compared to someone else’s Photoshopped glamour shot, it is hardly a fair contest

Cyberbullying: The Dark Side of Connectivity

Social media’s open-door policy has unfortunately invited in a few trolls. Women are disproportionately targeted by online harassment and abuse. A global study by Amnesty International revealed that 23% of women have experienced online abuse or harassment, with significant impacts on their emotional well- being (source: Amnesty International, 2017).

From body shaming to threats of violence, the virtual world can be a minefield. The anonymity of the internet seems to embolden some to unleash comments they would never say aloud at a dinner party, unless they fancy a swift exit.

Empowerment and Activism: The Silver Linings

But it is not all doom scrolling. Social media has also been a power tools for women’s empowerment and activism.

Movements like #MeToo have given women a global platform to share their stories and demand change. According to data from Twitter, the hashtag has been used millions of times across at least 85 countries (source: Twitter Data, 2018).

In countries where women’s voices are often silenced, social media has provided a megaphone. It has enabled networking, business opportunities, and access to information that might otherwise be out of reach.

The Comparison Conundrum

Comparing ourselves to others is a tale as old as time, but social media has amplified it to a deafening level. The endless stream of other people’s highlight reels can lead to decreased self- esteem and increased depression. A study published in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology found a causal link between time spent on social media and increased depression and loneliness (source: Hunt et al., 2018).

It is like being perpetually stuck at a high school reunion where everyone is bragging, and you are just trying to keep your spinach-free smile intact.

Privacy? What Privacy?

Another concern is the erosion of privacy. Oversharing can lead to safety issues, particularly for women. Location tagging and personal information can make users vulnerable. A report by the Pew Research Center found that women are more likely than men to adjust their privacy settings, but risks remain (source: Pew Research Center, 2018).

So, Has Social Media Done More Harm Than Good?

The answer is not as black and white as a vintage filter. Social media has both empowered and endangered women. It has provided platforms for voices that were previously unheard, but has also amplified unrealistic standards and exposed users to harassment.

Perhaps the issue is not social media itself, but how it is used. It is a tool, after all, a double edged one at that. By promoting digital literacy, enforcing stricter policies against harassment, and reminding ourselves that not everything online is as it seems, we might tilt the scales towards the good.

Summing up!

As we scroll, like, and share, it is worth remembering that the power is quite literally at our fingertips. Social media can be a source of support, inspiration, and yes, the occasional cat meme to brighten our day. It is up to us to demand better from these platforms and to use them in ways that uplift rather than undermine.

So, dear readers, the next time you find yourself lost in the endless scroll, take a moment to consider: is this enriching my life, or just filling it? Because in the grand feed of things, we deserve a space that reflects our true selves, filters optional.

Share:

Trending

Raising Women Magazine Issue 54 – October 2026

“Because you’re a girl.”
Four little words that have spent generations doing an extraordinary amount of damage. Apparently, ambition, intelligence and audacity were once considered rather unladylike.
Fortunately, the girls featured in our 54th edition missed that memo.
As we celebrate the International Day of the Girl Child, we spotlight twelve remarkable girls rewriting the rules, while reminding ourselves that a girl should not need extraordinary achievements to deserve ordinary opportunities.
We also explore the expectations that complicate girlhood, the childhood wounds we carry into adulthood and, in my Find Her Light reflection, why the girl I once was might have a few lessons for the woman I have become.
Perhaps our greatest responsibility is not simply raising girls to conquer the world, but ensuring they never have to shrink themselves to belong in it.
Because you’re a girl?
What a wonderful reason to dream without limits.

Raising Women Magazine Issue 53 – September 2026

Apparently, saving the planet comes with a shopping list. Solar panels, electric cars, sustainable fashion and, preferably, a bank account that understands the assignment.

In Issue 53, our cover woman, Professor Joyashree Roy, challenges us to reconsider what sustainability really costs, who pays, and why the cheapest choices today may leave tomorrow’s generations with the bill.

But this issue is also about the invisible price tags attached to everyday life. From passport privilege and the cultural expectations of a “good woman” to motherhood, personal boundaries and the delicate art of enjoying life before finishing every task, we examine the systems shaping our choices.

We also celebrate women turning overlooked problems into extraordinary opportunities.

Perhaps progress begins when we stop asking only what things cost and start asking what they are worth.

A better world should not be a luxury reserved for those who can afford it.
Happy reading!

.

Raising Women Magazine Issue 52 – September 2026

This issue asks a deceptively simple question: can we save the planet without making ordinary people pay the highest price?
Our cover star, Sascha Gabizon, brings that question sharply into focus, challenging us to think about climate action not only through carbon, but through fairness, access and gender. Because going green sounds wonderful until sustainability becomes something only the wealthy can afford.
Across these pages, we follow climate change into unexpected places. Into our wardrobes, our food, our cultural traditions and even the price of our morning coffee. We also continue our important First Daughters conversation, explore what women really mean when they speak about safety, and look at 111 Miss World contestants whose purpose projects remind us that beauty today carries increasingly bigger expectations.
This edition is ultimately about responsibility, but responsibility shared fairly.
Because saving our planet cannot become another luxury.
And perhaps the greenest future is one everyone can actually afford.

Raising Women Magazine Issue 051 – August 2026

Equal. Such a small word for such a complicated idea.

In this issue, we ask a question that feels almost impolite after decades of progress: women have more rights, education, income and influence than generations before us, but are we equal? We have travelled remarkably far, yet full global gender parity remains generations away. Apparently, equality is taking the scenic route.

Issue 51 looks beyond the equal sign to what equality actually feels like in women’s lives. We follow the money, the power and, importantly, the hours women still disproportionately spend caring. We also explore women’s old financial systems, workplace design, the soft life economy and the changing meaning of opportunity
.
Progress deserves celebration. But celebration should never make us complacent.

We have opened many doors.

Now we must ask what happens after women walk through them.

We are closer.

But are we there?
.

Your guide to IVF and egg freezing in Korea

Empowering your family planning journey with curated fertility treatments at lower costs. Get our guide for Korea’s leading clinics, pricing and service breakdown.

Recommended News

Raising Women Magazine Issue 54 – October 2026

“Because you’re a girl.”
Four little words that have spent generations doing an extraordinary amount of damage. Apparently, ambition, intelligence and audacity were once considered rather unladylike.
Fortunately, the girls featured in our 54th edition missed that memo.
As we celebrate the International Day of the Girl Child, we spotlight twelve remarkable girls rewriting the rules, while reminding ourselves that a girl should not need extraordinary achievements to deserve ordinary opportunities.
We also explore the expectations that complicate girlhood, the childhood wounds we carry into adulthood and, in my Find Her Light reflection, why the girl I once was might have a few lessons for the woman I have become.
Perhaps our greatest responsibility is not simply raising girls to conquer the world, but ensuring they never have to shrink themselves to belong in it.
Because you’re a girl?
What a wonderful reason to dream without limits.

Raising Women Magazine Issue 53 – September 2026

Apparently, saving the planet comes with a shopping list. Solar panels, electric cars, sustainable fashion and, preferably, a bank account that understands the assignment.

In Issue 53, our cover woman, Professor Joyashree Roy, challenges us to reconsider what sustainability really costs, who pays, and why the cheapest choices today may leave tomorrow’s generations with the bill.

But this issue is also about the invisible price tags attached to everyday life. From passport privilege and the cultural expectations of a “good woman” to motherhood, personal boundaries and the delicate art of enjoying life before finishing every task, we examine the systems shaping our choices.

We also celebrate women turning overlooked problems into extraordinary opportunities.

Perhaps progress begins when we stop asking only what things cost and start asking what they are worth.

A better world should not be a luxury reserved for those who can afford it.
Happy reading!

.

Raising Women Magazine Issue 52 – September 2026

This issue asks a deceptively simple question: can we save the planet without making ordinary people pay the highest price?
Our cover star, Sascha Gabizon, brings that question sharply into focus, challenging us to think about climate action not only through carbon, but through fairness, access and gender. Because going green sounds wonderful until sustainability becomes something only the wealthy can afford.
Across these pages, we follow climate change into unexpected places. Into our wardrobes, our food, our cultural traditions and even the price of our morning coffee. We also continue our important First Daughters conversation, explore what women really mean when they speak about safety, and look at 111 Miss World contestants whose purpose projects remind us that beauty today carries increasingly bigger expectations.
This edition is ultimately about responsibility, but responsibility shared fairly.
Because saving our planet cannot become another luxury.
And perhaps the greenest future is one everyone can actually afford.

Raising Women Magazine Issue 051 – August 2026

Equal. Such a small word for such a complicated idea.

In this issue, we ask a question that feels almost impolite after decades of progress: women have more rights, education, income and influence than generations before us, but are we equal? We have travelled remarkably far, yet full global gender parity remains generations away. Apparently, equality is taking the scenic route.

Issue 51 looks beyond the equal sign to what equality actually feels like in women’s lives. We follow the money, the power and, importantly, the hours women still disproportionately spend caring. We also explore women’s old financial systems, workplace design, the soft life economy and the changing meaning of opportunity
.
Progress deserves celebration. But celebration should never make us complacent.

We have opened many doors.

Now we must ask what happens after women walk through them.

We are closer.

But are we there?
.

Raising Women Magazine Issue 050 – August 2026

Fifty issues. That feels worth pausing for.
Not because fifty is simply a lovely round number, but because every issue represents another opportunity to ask better questions about women, culture and the world we are building.
And Issue 50 certainly asks questions.
Our cover story, PRETTY, BY DESIGN, takes us to South Korea and its billion dollar pursuit of beauty, examining what happens when appearance becomes intertwined with confidence, opportunity and social capital. But before we become too fascinated by South Korea, perhaps we should check our own mirrors. The pursuit of “better” is increasingly global.
Elsewhere, we meet an Olympic champion who found gold at 41 and after motherhood, explore the AI gap reshaping women’s work, rediscover our grandmothers as archivists and ask why dinner now requires photography before eating.
Fifty editions later, Raising Women Magazine remains curious, global and committed to conversations that matter.
Here’s to 50.
And to everything we are still becoming.

Raising Women Magazine Issue 049 – August 2026

There is a quiet shift taking place in the stories women are telling.

For years, success was measured by titles, milestones, and visibility. Today, we are asking deeper questions. What does influence look like? Who is changing the world? Which friendships shape the women we become? And how do we carry our heritage into a future we are helping to build?

This edition celebrates women and girls of African descent whose ideas, courage, creativity, and leadership are reshaping global conversations. Our cover feature is a reminder that Africa is not waiting to be discovered. It is already influencing the future through remarkable women whose work is changing industries, communities, and generations.

Alongside these inspiring stories, we explore the quiet power of friendship, the economics of modern womanhood, fashion’s changing priorities, and the cultural moments defining our time.

At Raising Women Magazine, we remain committed to one belief: when women rise with purpose, they do not simply change their own stories. They expand what the world believes is possible.