Application essay n. 2: Spotlight Effect In society, people are constantly self-conscious. All they can think about is what others think of them. This thought process can be self-destructive when one becomes so self-conscious that they make themselves up to be exactly who society wants them to be and not who they really are. In psychology this is known as the spotlight effect. Psychology defines the spotlight effect as “overestimation of others noticing and evaluating our appearance, our performance, and our mistakes” (Myers, 2013, 545). The problem with the spotlight effect is that almost everyone experiences it. This means that everyone is so busy worrying about what others think of them that they even have time to think about others. This leads to a selfish community with low self-esteem. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Spotlights are often associated with the illusion of transparency. While the spotlight effect is when you think people are judging you externally, how you look and what you do, the illusion of transparency is when you think people are judging you internally, how you feel. The spotlight effect is more common in large social situations, while the illusion of transparency has more effect in intimate social situations. While the spotlight effect is common in the majority of the population, the illusion of transparency appears to be more common in people with general anxiety disorder. Both of these concepts of self-focused attention are destructive to self-confidence and false. People who experience the spotlight effect or the illusion of transparency both overestimate the amount of attention paid to them (Brown et. al., 2007). While these self-impression concepts destroy self-esteem when put into practice, if the idea is destroyed, self-esteem can also be hurt. The thought that everyone is paying attention to someone can help that person feel unique and important. However, after learning about the spotlight effect, they may begin to understand that they are just like everyone else in this world, which can cause a different spiral in self-esteem. Personally, I have experienced both the spotlight effect and the illusion of transparency. For example, the other day I was in the psychological services office in Wilk so I could see a psychologist to help me transition to college. As I entered the waiting room I saw a friend from a few years ago. As we talked and started catching up the whole time, I was panicking about what he might think of me because I needed to see a psychologist. However, after that date, I thought about the situation again and realized that she was probably worrying about the same thing too, when in reality I didn't think twice about her presence. I just thought she was worried about what I was doing. It amazed me how blind we can be in our lives. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay The illusion of transparency has been less common in my life, but I can still think of a great example. When I was fifteen I moved to New Jersey from Georgia. The move was very hard on me and I struggled socially for the first couple of months. In one of my classes, a gym class, there was a group of people who I thought were nice, but I never had the courage to talk to them. I was silent in this class for most of the year until I was placed in a group with them. When I was included in the group we started to.