This is something that crosses my mind at times and that’s the ongoing debate with social media. I use it frequently for things that make me feel good and inspired. My blog is shared with my friends and family and it helps with engagement too.
Social media has become a huge part of our everyday lives now. Whether it’s work or leisure or just something to pass the time. It’s also a double edged sword when it comes to the way it’s used. In the beginning, from what I remember, early years of social media was the classic MSN, sending multimedia text messages to your friends (with the exception of charging per text if you were a pay as you go person like myself!), and if we’re feeling a bit of a dinosaur, sending emails. I was always the last person in my school years to be in touch with social media. I never got Facebook or MySpace or even the earlier ones you may remember, until I was 18-19.. which I suppose in a way, did me a favour as I would have been too distracted during those crucial moments in GCSE exams and A-Levels. To be honest, I wasn’t that bothered as a teenager, but you would feel the peer pressure to sign up to them anyway just for the sake of it as your friends did it. Everyone at school seemed to be so savvy with it and would be on it for a long time throughout the day. Every time, ‘Did you hear about so and so on..’ (whatever it was). A quick sneaky peek during class before the teacher came in or hiding their phones under the tables before they catch you and risk of confiscating it. You may have been one of those pupils.. haha!
I didn’t have the internet in my house growing up. In fact, we didn’t even own a computer until I was around the age of 10 or 11. But did it bother me? No. Were we fine without it? Of course we were! Because we didn’t know any different. We still stayed in touch with family on the classic landline phones that have now become an antique and distant memory, we sent actual physical letters and cards out to people and made do without anything to do with computers or phones as most of our time was spent outside and socialising. You know? Actual people! Actual communication. I believe that my generation were probably the last generation to be outside. Since now it’s a lot of screen time and online social interactions, we’ve slowly forgotten how to communicate properly and that’s pretty scary!
My views on social media over the years have been a mixed bag. When I signed up to online platforms in the old days, it was very exciting at first because it was a great way to stay in touch with my friends, even if I had seen them at school during the day, it was something to do and have a good laugh and chat. It made us feel just a tad bit closer and it was fun. I also loved the creative side to it when it came to editing and making it look cool. But when I later on signed up to the big social network platforms, my opinions started changing and that’s where the toxic side of it started to slowly emerge..
Undeniably, it can be an addiction. A study showed that on average, a person can’t be away from their phone for more than 15 minutes at a time when it comes to social media. The endless notification pop ups that invite you in and the constant scrolling the feeds, no matter what it is, scroll, scroll, scroll. Each time you see something that is good or receive a comment or something that feels validating, you get those little boosts of dopamine which gives you that buzz. However, for some it’s when the buzz wears off that they crave more and that’s where it becomes toxic. One that is currently a huge issue is the whole self esteem and body image that affects women and teenage girls on social media. When you scroll through Instagram, you follow your friends and what interests you. It could be fashion, travel, fitness, food, the list is endless. But it’s also what’s on trend and what is usually found is influencers. Not just the high profile ones, but ones that have gained a high following based on their personal content or something that has provided a gateway to get the high following in the first place. They are mainly young women or men – mainly women, who look like carbon copies of each other. There’s no authenticity, nothing that is different or something unique that stands out. The editing and filters that make you feel and look a little better is what gives the false perception and warps reality. Many of these images are manipulated with the correct lighting, angles and taken hundreds of times to get the perfect picture. It’s never, ever right the first time. Fact! Likes are a huge popularity contest. I’ve watched short videos of teenage girls and young women being interviewed on how they view themselves on social media and are confused and frustrated on the number of likes they received and how low they felt when they didn’t get as many as their friends or peers. That really knocks their confidence and it’s no wonder why mental health is on the rise. They are afraid to show any ounce of imperfections that makes them who they are. We are all different and we should be celebrating ourselves in a positive way such as our qualities, intelligence and values. There’s too much pressure to look a certain way and what is perceived as the ideal way to look. We naturally compare ourselves when we shouldn’t. It’s hard not to, but we do..
Body positivity trends is a worrying one. You wouldn’t think with those words. In general, it should be something about our bodies that should be embraced. The natural aging process, going through pregnancy, the way women’s bodies change over time. It’s never going to look the same as what we had as teenagers or our 20s. Weight can fluctuate, hormones can play a part, but if we keep physical activity as part of our lives and keep it to a consistent level then the other things shouldn’t matter. You don’t need to be a gym bunny to look physically attractive. Just keep exercise to a reasonable level, good skincare and eating well should be promoting a healthy body positivity image. Promoting unhealthy lifestyles isn’t something to celebrate. We all know this but choose to ignore the medical facts because we don’t want to offend someone. That’s toxic. If it’s a medical problem, it needs to be addressed with the individual so medical professionals can help change their lifestyle and get them back to a much healthier weight, as well as investigating the psychological issue behind it. Glamourising it is just evil..
One more thing to add, is the dating world. These days are the culture of swiping and ghosting. Dating apps have made it much harder for people to meet. The profiles that people create have made us more selective and picky of what we want in a partner. It makes me sad how the majority of the time, it never seems to go beyond the arranging to meet up because unfortunately, there’s always more options. So as a result, dispose, ghost, gone. It’s not just feeling hurt, rejected and confused, but for some, can be emotionally damaging for someone who hoped for a simple connection and a bit of NORMALITY! A simple date. The reality of it seems incredibly bleak. Something has got to be done about it! Bring back more outdoorsy communities and activities that will encourage people to socialise, get out there and meet someone. Meet real people. Real life. Online can work for some, but we are meant to be social beings. We can’t deny it.
To sum up, social media can be a very useful tool and can be fun depending on how you use it. Just use it in the right way. If you have accomplished something and want to share it with your friends and family, do it. If you want to post based on your hobbies and interests, do it. Use your content in a healthy way that’s going to promote and inspire others to do the same.
Butterflies and Rainbows - Katie's Journey 