Digital You
As a barely millennial, I started documenting my life on social media around middle/high school. Back then, Facebook was the most popular social media platform for people my age. We would update our statuses and add pictures to clever folders. Remember having to upload pictures? It used to be so complicated.
With the president being taken off social media, people are starting to question their social media usage. Oddly enough, I would have told the president the same thing I tell everyone else, “Social media should lead people to the destination, it’s not the destination”. People argue getting rid of the president’s social media channels is censorship, however, I don’t see the validity in that argument.
What I do want to talk about is how we use social media and the internet. Since the pandemic has happened, I feel like social media is one of the easiest and safest ways for me to connect with other people. I also feel I may be on the internet too much. It’s difficult to draw the line, but it’s something I keep thinking about.
We don’t need social media, but it makes our life easier. It gives us the ability to talk to people all across the world, it allows us to network, and it gives us international entertainment. At the same time, we have to remember there is a distinction between social media and IRL. There are so many events in my life that I don’t share on social media. Partly because I’m private about my personal life and also because I primarily use social media as a way to connect professionally. I like to follow people who have interesting perspectives about life. For me, social media is a way to meet people I wouldn’t have the opportunity to meet in the past.
So, while you’re doomscrolling, remember social media should benefit you. Even if it means a couple of extra laughs every day. Digital can be part of who we are, without defining who we are. In a twist of irony, I don’t have access to my coding Twitter account right now. Even though I forgot my password, I hope I’ll be able to log on soon (fingers crossed). And: I have to say “Long Live The Personal Blog”.
