Social Media, the sneakiest devils of them all. One minute you are King or Queen of the internet and the next you're being penalised for some '09 tweets. 'Is it that serious?' I know that's what some of you are probably thinking, 'It's just social media'. It isn't though... it is sadly also the home to violent videos, cyber bullying, deception (just look at CH4, The Circle) and can even be the cause of suicide.
Facebook was advertised as this amazing way to catch up with old friends and reunite with long lost family members and it all sounded great until it turned into #Ad, #Selfie and #Deception. Am I guilty of all of those things? Yes, but I am also in that group of 20year olds who love social media because why else would I be a blogger? but also the ones who can see right through the bullshit and know how damaging it can be.
Here are my social media loves and loathes
LOATHES
The comment section is my biggest pet peeve. I just wish it didn't exist and maybe Kanye was on to something in his recent rant about removing likes and followers. The comment section allows the opinion of online trolls to be sent out into the world and to stay there. I see people proudly calling Khloe Kardashian's beautiful baby girl ugly because of her gorgeous skin tone and chubby cheeks. Does it seem right that we use platforms that allow these kind of comments to be out there in first place? Not to me. I also worry about my future kids. Do I have them be subject to that kind of scrutiny one day or do I have them be those weird kids who are the only ones who aren't allowed on social media. We all know this happens to regular people too, not just the ones who are public figures. Speaking ill of children should is always crossing the line.
Social media used to be about showing the reality of what was going on in our lives. My Facebook '09 status would read 'About 2 go shop xxx' Did anyone care? Of course not, but it was my reality, it was real and I didn't try and pretend that my life was fabulous. Social media doesn't even know what reality is anymore. Apps like Instagram that allows us to have 'followers' instead of 'friends' force us to feel like we have to protect our identity to people online who we don't know. Everything is perfectly curated to get 'the shot'. I'm not going to lie, I want to take and post pictures where I look good and where my surroundings look good but I do not pretend that that is my reality because it is not. Where I draw the line is the Instagram models showing off their squat routines and healthy diets but forgetting to @ their fat transfer doctors. Of course you can do but we need transparency and honesty for our kids and future generation.
The social media police. Another type of person to be found in the comments are the opinions brigade, unpaid, over workers who are annoying as hell. These are the ones who tell you how to hold your baby, how to to feed your baby, how to clean your house, how to get pregnant, how to walk in a straight line and how to live your life. Be wary of these ones because they often come across kind and as if they are just trying to help but you can always see through the extra judgey ones who thinks their poop smells like sunshine and roses.
After a while looking at everyone else's lives can become very draining. If like me you feel a little worn out after being on social media for too long, delete the apps. I feel so much better when I turn my notifications off from time to time and don't have to be fed tiny bits of useless information all of the time. Seeing another story about Kanye defending Trump or another story about a celebrity couple getting a divorce gives me a headache. I know I could just unfollow The Shaderoom but we all like a little tea in our lives from time to time. As long as your messy opinion and bullying stays out of the comments section of course. Too much of one thing is never good for your soul, protect your mental at all costs.
LOVES
After all of that it was almost hard to think of the reasons I love it but one I touched on recently is dropping stigma's, talking about taboo subjects and breaking down stereotypes. If you haven't read it, I posted YES I'M A GIRL AND YES I HAVE PERIODS recently. It came to me after thinking about how many women are made to feel uncomfortable about there own bodies and it's not ok. When I started my first blog and wrote an Instagram caption telling everyone about my anxiety I felt so anxious putting it out there I felt like I was suffocating. It got easier though, it got easier because I recieved DM's from you guys about your own mental health struggles, you opened up to me and told me that my blog and posts helped you and that made me never want to stop sharing and being an open book.
Twitter do your thing. I want to shout out Twitter personally because it is hands down the best social media App in my always right opinion. While Instagram moves in to the glossy magazine and editoral perfection direction Twitter stands as an App where us regular folk talk about regular things and are made to feel normal. It is the home of every meme and joke that you end up seeing on Instagram, FB and Snapchat and really deserves more credit. Additionally Twitter is also used to highlight important news topics and for great causes like to find missing people, raise awareness and even to raise money. Twitter keep doing your thing, we see you.
Social media has become a place where I can grab inspiration for a lot of things. I'm talking fashion, blog stuff, home decor and more. People often ask me where I find cute restaurants to go to etc. and the answer is always social media. I can see what's going , where to go and what kind of things I might like to spend my money in the future. On top of that it has become a job for many many people and although bloggers and influencers are scrutinised for not having a 'normal' job, there's a job for everyone and if being a Youtube is your passion and you can make money from it too then GO AHEAD.
Last but not least, how do you all find out about my new posts and what I'm up to on the blog if it isn't social media? Social media provides free marketing for business' of all sizes, the self-employed and people trying to get themselves out there. Justin Bieber was found on YouTube guys sol let's not take it for granted. I am so grateful to be able to promote my posts and find new business' opportunities everyday on social media.
What are your thoughts on social media? Are you torn by loving and loathing it like me? Leave me a comment below and let's chat. Maybe it just needs a few tweaks...
Love, Shay.
