Using Social Media The Right Way
Written by Trinity Duong
We are often told that social media is a construct of negative connotations followed by “harsh truths” within the extensive forums integrated into the modern day. For as long as most of us can remember social media has been an addictive false form of connection. It’s easy to believe so long as you find yourself consumed in curating an image of the perfect aesthetic to shove into the public’s eye.
Extraneous feelings of discomfort and insecurity can make you feel as though you need to take extensive breaks from certain applications. The act of even posting a photo used to be a daunting task. You’d scour your camera roll looking for the perfect photo to update the internet on who you are, how you’re doing, who you’re with trying overzealously to impress your following. While going offline can be helpful, social media is way too ingrained in our society to possibly ignore. Although helpful, it is more of a temporary fix to an ongoing issue.
Ensuring that online users harvest a healthy relationship with the platforms they interact with is very important as it is so integrated into our daily lives. Simply turning off your phone is not the solution due to social media so heavily influencing not only personal lives but other foundational constructs in our physical society such as socioeconomic ventures.
In truth, social media can be a blossoming experience. Finding a healthy way to create connections and utilize the applications in ways that aren’t detrimental to your own well being should be a personal goal for everyone. Adapting different ways of thinking can play a huge role in propelling you further in your career potential, adaptability to cultural differences and being knowledgeable about lives outside of your own enclosed environment.
The reality of it all is that no one really cares about the curated version of you. Growing up in your own world you naturally see everything from your own perspective. It puts you in the driver seat, but as much as you’d like to speed down the freeway with the windows rolled down, screaming “I’m the main character!” it’s important to realize that you're most likely just stuck in traffic with the rest of us. Not to mention we’re all trying to speed just as fast as you.
It’s easy to get lost in how others perceive you, and that is what ensures a negative input and output of media and information. Growing in empathy and learning to be appreciative of people’s content, rather than comparing everything you see to yourself, is how we can learn to be a little less selfish in the way we consume social media. Unfocus the lens and give yourself time to breathe. Authenticity is raw. It’s unique. It’s powerful. It’s one of the many ways to grow your social media presence and demonstrate a loving affinity for yourself and others. People are drawn to you, for you.
It is so easy to read people like a magazine. You can flip through someone’s photos and read the articles along the side and presume just about anything about the person’s character. It is when you bring novelty and rarity to the table that no one will not be able to stop themselves from enjoying the unique brim of light brought into a world full of people living in shadows.
In other words, enjoy what you do. Overwhelming social media tasks such as photo updates or tweets should be shrunk down to a simple caption and share. Going on these platforms should not feel as stressful as a nine to five job. You are not in charge of making everyone perceive you perfectly. Life is a string of memories that shouldn’t need to be curated. There will come a day where everything you post will seemingly just be history, so post what you want and enjoy what you do, because as much as you are the main character in your own story, you are just as easily a supporting character to those around you. Focus on harvesting a positive relationship with yourself and represent it to the fullest extent. Easier said than done, but not impossible.
