According to research, the root cause of overly approval-seeking behaviour is low self-esteem. This basically means if one lacks self-belief and that means they are also self-critical, it would seem natural for them to seek validation from others.

In the early days of humankind, acceptance by the tribe was necessary to stay alive nowadays. Social media has become another common approach to seek approval 

And a way to be part of small groups which share the same characteristic and interests. as a result, Social media has become a key element of modern interactions. 

**From a positive perspective,** external validation helps us to seek feedback from others that what we are experiencing is normal or makes sense, but "Overly" seeking approval behaviour becomes problematic when it turns into an addiction  
After reading research studies and articles on how Seeking Approval affects us, I produced an animated video to illustrate the topic. If you prefer reading. I have included important reference links below. 

Hope you find this informative  
Cheers!

[Why Do We Seek Approval](https://youtu.be/Qx45UWcYj0g)

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Reference: 

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* I Want You to Like Me: Extraversion, Need for Approval, and Time on Facebook as Predictors of Anxiety [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5383211/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5383211/)
* Why do we need validation so much? [https://medium.com/zauge/why-do-we-need-validation-so-much-67c591dbcf5c](https://medium.com/zauge/why-do-we-need-validation-so-much-67c591dbcf5c)
* Kary Hall, P. (2012, February 3). The Emotionally Sensitive Person. Retrieved from Psych centra- [https://psychcentral.com/blog/emotionally-sensitive/2012/02/levels-of-validation#4](https://psychcentral.com/blog/emotionally-sensitive/2012/02/levels-of-validation#4)
* Tribal behaviour: the good, the bad, and the need for balance [https://edwardlowe.org/tribal-behavior/](https://edwardlowe.org/tribal-behavior/)