In the generation of the millennial’s social media is massive – Facebook, twitter, Instagram, snap chat, you tube, pinterest … There is a platform for everything and it is now the social norm to post all aspects of your lives online. Now I am a massive lover of social media and all it has done for not only me but loads of people I know and respect in the blogging industry. It has created so many jobs, connections and when used correctly people can learn, get inspired and support from it. Communities have been formed and its great – some of my best friends have come from people I have made through social media.
However with all the pros there are a fair few cons of which has prompted this post. It is probably going to turn into quite a ranty one so I apologise for this. But this is something that has been on my mind for ages and I really want to share my views on it.
How many of you will snap a picture of your meal, video your nights out, get those post gym selfies?? I’ll hold my hands up now as I do – some of what I post is work related or to do with my blogger/pt presence but others … well is it always necessary?? I worry that as it keeps growing we are going to miss so many memories as we are too busy trying to capture the perfect shot or share with the world what we are doing. Don’t live your life through a screen, admire and take in the view without taking a photo, enjoy your date night without telling the world what you have been doing. Yes take pictures of things of course but use them as a keepsake to look back on rather than being the source. Obviously if it is your job it is a different story but try as much as you can to take a digital detox when you can to actually spend quality time with people. BE THERE not on your phone.
Be inspired by what you see but don’t feel pressured to be what you see. Remember that people are showing a snapshot of their life – the highlights they want you to see. Your social media feeds should be full of things that make you feel good, inspire and motivate you, make you want to learn more and above all benefit you ! If you find when you are scrolling that you feel crappy or it doesn’t relate to your goals then unfollow. There is no point following someone just because others do if you are not in the right place to do so – you can always follow them at a later date. I recently went through my Instagram and had a big unfollowing sessions to all the accounts that didn’t work for me, nothing against the accounts but they just didn’t fit with my ethos any more.
Fakeness is something I hate and it annoys me when I see accounts being fake just to get followers. Just be yourself ! There is no need to try and fit into a certain box because it seems the one you should go for … and don’t just follow the crowd, stand out and be yourself. Having a certain amount of followers wont change who you are, you need to live your life outside of the social media world (again if this is your job its different) and focus on the number of people around you who care and love you.
Finally the most hated thing for me about social media is the fact that people now seem to find it acceptable to bully and troll others! When did it become ok to comment hate and belittle people over the internet ?! There is a real person behind the account who will get hurt and upset every time a negative comment is said. If you wouldn’t say it face to face then don’t hide behind your keyboard. It makes me so angry and upset when I see these comments and I genuinely wonder why people think this is ok. Leave the bitchy comments to yourself and lets focus on supporting and building each other up! Remember behind every social media personality there is a real person with real feelings so please treat them that way.
As an avid social media user myself I feel I can share this confidently because I’m not saying it is a bad thing I just want to highlight the extremes and the fact sometimes we need to take a step back the virtual and focus on the real and now!
