Let's Talk about Social Media
The social media phenomenon means we are constantly connected to the outside world- in a way like we never have been before. It's a form of entertainment, communication, and somewhere we document our everyday lives. From our morning coffees to our biggest milestones- Instagram sees it all. If I really think about it, the thought of scrolling through 15 second videos for hours at a time seems crazy. But due to the climate of today's world- it's become the norm. Long gone are the days that I read a book before bed. Instead, we're consumed by scrolling through an endless feed of the lives of others. We base our worth on likes and unwind by snapping pictures of ourselves to friends to chat. It's a surreal time to live in. Our phones document the steps we take each day. They have an answer to any question we have. Whilst it appears that we have the world at our fingertips, can technology cause us to lose ourselves in the process?
With lockdown after lockdown, it can feel comfortable to turn to social media, to occupy ourselves, but, also to stay "in the loop". To know what people are up to and, often, comparing their days to ours. Though I couldn't picture isolating without social media, I tend to live my life through a phone screen or a camera lens far too often. Instead I should just enjoy the moment for what it really is. Human relationships are so much more important than digital connections. There are days I waste just scrolling through Tiktok when I could have went for a walk, worked on a passion or had a meaningful conversation with someone. Essentially I could have a more fulfilling experience than staring blankly at a screen. For me, I've learnt that spending time alone doesn't mean immersing myself in social media. It means working on something I'm interested in, listening to a podcast or exercising. Sometimes, you have to consciously decide to put your phone down and live mindfully. After all, we don't really need to know what everyone else is up to 24/7.
Picture this, you've had an amazing day doing your own thing. You get back home and onto social media. You see someone else had an even better day than you. Maybe they went to the beach with their friends that day, worked out for longer than you or travelled somewhere you wish you could go. Without social media, we would be blissfully unaware of the every day lives of others. And I bet we'd be 100% happier for it. I believe we need to start doing things for ourselves. Take yourself out to get that coffee. Don't wait for someone else to invite you. Live in gratitude for what you do have and not pining for what you don't. If that means logging off for a while- then you definitely should. I make a habit of deleting Instagram because I find myself so much happier when I'm not constantly connected to everyone I'm following.
I try to use social media as a platform to express my passions, like an online scrapbook. Why have a digital image if its's not representative of what you truly love to do- whether that's photography or art. I'd love to look back on my social media like a nostalgic mum looking at a photo album. I want to see the moments I was happiest, not the moments I looked the best for a selfie. Because social media is for you.
Though the social media hype is completely taking over at the moment, what I want to stress is that there is so much more to life than likes, follows and Tiktoks. Even though it's difficult to convince myself of that fact most of the time, I think we should all disconnect from the world of social media sometimes.
Love,
