A beautiful family portrait on social media does not always represent the reality of one’sfamily relationship.

If you scroll down, you will find the full story in the OP’s own words, as well asBored Panda’sinterview withSara Moore, Associate Professor of Sociology at Salem State University, who was kind enough to share her insight on the way social media affects people’s lives.

People’s family relationships might not be as close as they seem on social media

“AITA For Not Letting My Mother Identify As A Grandmother To My Child On Social Media?”

Image credits:Alexander Dummer (not the actual photo)

This redditor denounced her mother for creating a fake image of herself as a caring grandmother on Facebook

“AITA For Not Letting My Mother Identify As A Grandmother To My Child On Social Media?”

Image credits:anonymous

Social media is not always a mirror reflection of real life

Needless to say, social media is not always representative of reality, be it healthy lifestyles, relationships with friends and family, or adventure-filled lives it portrays. And while it’s theyounger generationthat arguably tends to believe what they see on social media more, people of all ages can fall into the trap of picture-perfect arrangements on others’ profiles. (Which is somewhat concerning, considering thatmore than halfof US adults reportedly get their news from social media often or sometimes.)

“Secondly, a person’s social media is necessarily curated, which means people only show you what they want you to see. As a result, it’s easy for audiences to glamorize or idealize other people’s lives with little knowledge about what their lives actually look like.”

“AITA For Not Letting My Mother Identify As A Grandmother To My Child On Social Media?”

Image credits:Vitolda Klein (not the actual photo)

Many people try to paint a prettier picture of their lives than it actually is

Facebook is no exception. Being the most used social media platform in the world (with roughlythree billionmonthly active users), it, too, ought to have at least some people painting a prettier picture than it actually is, making the OP’s mother just one of the many. As a matter of fact,surveys foundthat roughly two-thirds of social media users post certain images seeking to make their lives seem more adventurous.

While the motivation for that might differ from person to person, one of the reasons for such behavior is likely to be related to the social comparison theory. It suggests that people tend to assess their social and personal worth based on where they stand in regards to others, and in thedigital age, the number oflikescan work as an excellent unit of measure for that.

“AITA For Not Letting My Mother Identify As A Grandmother To My Child On Social Media?”

Image credits:Marisa Howenstine (not the actual photo)

Favoritism can have a negative effect on a child’s relationship with their family

It’s unclear why the OP’s mother decided to lie on Facebook and try to present herself as a loving grandmother, when, based on the redditor’s description, she didn’t really fit the title. To make matters worse, she was willing to take on the role in regards to only one of the OP’s four children.

While favoritism rarely improves any relationship, it can be especially detrimental when there’s children involved.Institute for Family Studies(IFS) pointed out that parents playing favorites, for instance, can affect not only their relationship with the child, but the latter’s connection to their siblings, as well as their emotional well-being.

According to IFS’s data, 58% of Americans who say their parents didn’t have a favorite child said they are very or completely satisfied with the relationship they have with their siblings now, compared to 42% of those whose parents wereplaying favorites. In addition to that, the latter group reported higher levels of childhood loneliness.

Many people didn’t think the OP was being a jerk in the situation

“AITA For Not Letting My Mother Identify As A Grandmother To My Child On Social Media?”

“AITA For Not Letting My Mother Identify As A Grandmother To My Child On Social Media?”

“AITA For Not Letting My Mother Identify As A Grandmother To My Child On Social Media?”

“AITA For Not Letting My Mother Identify As A Grandmother To My Child On Social Media?”

“AITA For Not Letting My Mother Identify As A Grandmother To My Child On Social Media?”

“AITA For Not Letting My Mother Identify As A Grandmother To My Child On Social Media?”

“AITA For Not Letting My Mother Identify As A Grandmother To My Child On Social Media?”

Some believed everyone was at fault here

“AITA For Not Letting My Mother Identify As A Grandmother To My Child On Social Media?”

“AITA For Not Letting My Mother Identify As A Grandmother To My Child On Social Media?”

“AITA For Not Letting My Mother Identify As A Grandmother To My Child On Social Media?”

“AITA For Not Letting My Mother Identify As A Grandmother To My Child On Social Media?”

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