Since quarantine has taken over our lives, I've had a lot of time to be on social media... and I mean A LOT. But with that, there have also been a lot of moments where I questioned if I should just delete every account I own because I was so sick of some of the thoughts I was having within my own head.
In a day and age where everything we do is shared on some app, I find myself wondering if that's something I really want to be apart of. But then the next day comes around, and I see a pretty girl I follow has posted a link to ask her anonymous questions, and I find myself thinking: "Hm, should I do that too?"
It's a toxic cycle between "I don't want to be like everybody else" and "I want to be just like everybody else." It's comparing your body, or your hair, or the number of followers you have to somebody you don't even know. It's oversharing on the internet because you see everybody else doing it, and nothing bad has happened to them.... yet.
I would say my online footprint is right in the middle on a scale from low to high. I don't have a personal website, but I have several social media accounts, as well as two different blogs. The social media sites I use are almost too much to count, but here's my attempt:
- Instagram: I have posted anywhere from selfies to family pictures to party pictures.
- Twitter: I typically post a lot of my opinions on here, and I don't hold back. It's also where I go to post something humorous that may have happened to me, but this is where I sometimes overshare. I also have my main personal blog linked to my Twitter so I can promote the things I write.
- Facebook: I don't go on this one often. I usually only go on to update my family members about what's going on in my life and sometimes I go on to watch wholesome videos of families.
- Pinterest: I recently just got this one, and almost wish I hadn't. Every time I go on there I wish for all these things that I don't have. Sometimes it makes me feel bad about my life instead of feeling grateful for it.
- Tik Tok: This one is fairly new, but it's taken over the world. This is probably now the app I spend the most time on because it always makes me laugh. This is also another site that makes me compare myself to others. It's also a place where I can very easily get myself in trouble for posting something that might be oversharing... because once it's out there, it's out there forever.
- Linkedin: This is my final one, and honestly the least toxic of them all. Of course, I use this one to promote my educational and professional work.
I truly do think that too much social media makes people feel lonely and depressed. I know most days I find myself wishing for a different life and a different body, and it's all because of something I looked at on Instagram or Tik Tok. Sometimes I truly get scared that it's controlling my life because no matter how much I say I hate it and don't want to use it anymore, I always come back the next day. Of course, there are benefits to social media, but in moderation. It's a great way to connect, and it's a source of entertainment... it shouldn't be the main source though.
No comments:
Post a Comment