Does Edward Bloom from Big Fish by Daniel Wallace ever don a mask? If so, what is his mask? Analyze current trends by considering the following: today there are many ways in which we wear masks, especially through the filter of technology. Technology is changing the way we communicate with each other by allowing people to create masks for themselves. What effects do you notice in the way your peers are enabled to construct a reality around themselves through social media? What strains do you notice on relationships?

In the story, Edward Bloom is, of course, William's father. Throughout his life, Edward had always seemed like a man of mythic and heroic proportions to William. Like every young boy, William thought of his father as part man, part legend. Now that William is a man, he feels a deep need to know who Edward really is, apart from the pretensions of myth and artifice.
Edward does put on a mask, so to speak. In his youth, he falls in love with Sandra Kay Templeton and marries her. Together, they have a son named William, who is the narrator of the story. Later, Edward falls in love with the town of Specter and purchases it, for the purpose of reviving it. He becomes enamored with Jenny Hill, one of the town's residents. Edward divides his time between Jenny and Sandra by commuting between the towns and staying with each woman for a period of time. Eventually, a cataclysmic event forces Edward back to Sandra and William, and he remains with them until the end of his life.
Throughout his years as a husband and father, Edward remains an elusive figure to William. He hides behind what we would call an emotional mask. As the story attests, Edward hides his imperfections, insecurities, and failures behind a mask of congeniality and humor. The story raises a profound question: can we ever really know anyone or fully understand the motivations that compel them? If the ending of the book is any indication, the answer is no.
However, William learns a more important lesson as the story concludes, and it is that we are all connected by our shared humanity. William also comes to understand the human obsession with transcending earthly frailties, be it through "masks" or other superficial means.
Today, technology makes those masks easier to fabricate for the benefit of our audience. Many construct a faux reality around themselves on social media. Like Edward Bloom, they fear the appearance of vulnerability, believing that it will destroy their carefully crafted public images and relegate them to the margins of society. Below, I include a link to an article about 5 social media masks people often wear on social media. There are also two links about how social media can fuel eating disorders.
What results when we are able to construct a social media reality that is divorced from our real selves is dysfunction of every kind. Because social media platforms allow us to wear emotional masks, the faux reality that we perpetuate can lead to strained relationships in our lives. For example, profiles that consistently flaunt apparent successes (whether social or financial) may risk alienating followers, friends, family, and neighbors. There are studies that have connected social media usage to depression and anxiety. Below are two links that will help you with your question:
Why Instagram Is the Worst Social Media for Mental Health.
The Health Risks of Social Media.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/5-masks-we-wear-and-why-w_b_7786922

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/thinspiration-ban-social-media-doesnt-prevent-eating-disorders

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/06/01/social-media-helps-fuel-eating-disorders/9817513/