Once upon a time, many people displayed their material wealth and possessions on social media. However, that trend has changed. Now, many people are competing to share their happiness on their respective social media platforms, especially those who are newly married.

So, has social media become a determinant or yardstick for happiness in married life?

Showing happiness on social media should start from the heart of each individual. If the sharing is intended to motivate oneself and others, it may not be wrong. But, problems will arise when the sharing becomes excessive, causing feelings of disgust and envy.

It may not be wrong for an individual who has faced difficulties in their life to share motivational words with the aim of encouraging others to continue striving to find solutions to the problems they face.

It is also not wrong for someone to share their achievements in their career in the hope that those who follow their life story will also be motivated to continue striving for the same success.

However, this can lead to problems if the sharing is done excessively, causing negative feelings in social media. Worse, if these feelings not only arise internally but also become too overwhelming, it can even lead to bad physical actions.

The Ministry of Communications records that there are approximately 28 million social media users in this country, indicating our society's dependence on this platform as a main channel for communication and information.

However, excessive use and sharing may also have a direct impact on mental health. There is concern that social media users may rely on the number of 'likes' they receive as an indicator of their own happiness.

When they do not achieve the desired number of 'likes', these individuals may start to feel anxious and have negative thoughts. They may need recognition and validation from others to feel happy, which can ultimately damage their self-confidence. In addition, excessive sharing of happiness can also endanger personal safety. Sharing about one's home or daily routine can increase the risk of theft or other unwanted incidents.

Similarly, informing people about their family trip to the village or vacation can be a safety risk, especially if someone lives alone at home.

Not all sharing of happiness on social media reflects the real-life reality of a marriage. Often, this picture of happiness is just one side of the story from the various dimensions of a husband-wife relationship. We cannot judge someone's happiness based solely on what is seen on social media. It is also important to understand that not everything shown on social media is true, and there may even be some who do it commercially as a 'paid review'.

Therefore, we need to be careful in sharing information so as not to damage our privacy and certainly not to show off and cause any jealousy or envy.

Before sharing any post on social media, it is important to ask ourselves what the real purpose behind the sharing is. Is it to gain recognition, or to motivate others? Having a clear purpose when sharing a story on social media will help us measure whether the impact received is in line with what is intended or otherwise.

So, if asked, is it wrong to show happiness on social media? Tap your chest, ask your taste.

PENULIS, PROF. MADYA DR. AZMAWATY MOHAMAD NOR, Deputy Dean, Department of Education, Universiti Malaya (UM).

This article is translated from the original Malay article. It is the author's personal view and does not necessarily represent the view or official position of RTM.