Thoughts on… Social Med

Our social media is a visual, easily accessed journal of our memories and thoughts. Social media has a negative stigma around it, yet we are obsessed with the knowing what all our ‘follows’ are up to.

It can leave us with an anxious and agitated feeling, with an addictive dopamine hit attached. We can feel disconnected from our virtual world if away from it for too long.

Social media can have the effects of setting unrealistic expectations for myself but also inspires me to do something new or never thought to do. Our social media accounts entail mostly only positive moments and perfect posed photos. People argue it sets unrealistic expectations for others, which it does, but why would you want to have a reminder of the bad memories on such a public platform, presenting yourself in a vulnerable state which can be easily accessed by someone else?

We can use it to fill awkward silences in real life conversations, not have to be left alone with our thoughts and to distract ourselves from the physical world.

Influencers heavily cloud the space which makes it hard to decipher if a person's opinion is genuine or money generated. When viewing what we do through the accounts we follow, learn to make your own judgements and do your research. You don’t need to buy or do certain things of others in order to be happy through living their way of life. Your life is simply yours. And everyone is programmed differently. Find your own happiness.

Social media is a medium for influencing, creating, expressing and easily accessed. I think it reflects the real world and allows us to connect with strangers and discover someone you may not have known had existed otherwise. The ease of access is enticing, but also lethal to attracting predators. Be mindful and careful on what you post or do on these platforms. Take everything with a grain of salt and if I online situation doesn’t feel right to you, then it probably isn’t.