Thought I would jump on the band wagon seeing as everyone else has and talk about the fairly recent topic of a young girl called Essena O'Neill who has caused total mayhem when she announced that she was 'quitting social media'. (Ok, maybe its not so recent now and I am just very late to join the party, oops!)
For those of you that don't know, Essena had gained quite a large following on platforms such as YouTube and Instagram and recently she posted a video on YouTube that sparked a lot of mixed reviews. In this video she talked about why she had made the decision to quit social media, that social media is 'all fake' and nothing is 'real', that everyone involved in a life on the internet gets caught up in an unrealistic and possessive world. She talked about how she was obsessed with social media, how she was obsessed with gaining more followers, getting more views and being 'successful'.
In a way, I can sort of understand where she is coming from. Social media CAN be destructive, for both people who make a living out of it and for those who follow them. A lot of creators on the internet will almost always cut out bad parts of their life, they edit videos and cut out the mistakes or the bits they that weren't spot on, to make the whole thing 'perfect'. Mainly because they want people to be attracted to their content, be inspired by it and to create this image that their lives are fun-filled and stress free. They don't want to show the world them crying over the pizza they burnt or the eyeliner they ruined when wiping their eye by accident or them just generally stressing over the challenges life throws at them. This isn't a bad thing however, I know I'd rather not share the bad parts of my day, it's just in our nature to want to show ourselves at our best. But this is where some people will get the idea that social media isn't 'real'. Some bloggers and instagrammers (and I am most definitely guilty of this also) will spend FOREVER getting the perfect shot with the best lighting etc. For example, that girl you may follow on Instagram who has 200k followers with the stunning body, beautiful hair and perfect makeup who posted a photo in a beautiful location holding up a sports drink bottle with the caption 'Just going for my morning run' has probably, most definitely had that picture staged, be it for a sponsored post or whatever the situation. I know full well that if I was going for a morning run, I would not look amazing. It would probably be a highly unattractive selfie of me with no make up on and my hair tied back. Being completely honest, the picture for this post took me about 12 attempts, 4 different locations, different lighting and it was then edited and adjusted even more. Basically what I am trying to grasp at here is the fact that some of the lives you see on the internet most certainly do not portray real life.
With that being said, social media can also be an amazing place, a community where people connect and make friends. It can be inspirational and enjoyable following someone on their journey through life be that via videos and daily vlogs on Youtube or blogs like this. It can be a place where people can give advice, where someone can advertise products that they like to use in the hope that other people will enjoy them to. It can be a place where people make a living out of it, it becomes their job which some work very hard on and create amazing content for their viewers or readers. The list could go on as there are so many pro's to social media. I know that social media has helped me in many ways and made me a happier person. I have made some amazing friends that I never would have met if it wasn't for the internet and if it wasn't for social media, I would not be able to keep in touch with my family in Australia. Seeing their photos on places like Facebook fills me with so much happiness each and every day, knowing that I can speak to them whenever I want and for FREE, even though they are thousands and thousands of miles away.
If it wasn't for social media, there wouldn't be this amazing blogging community. I started my blog as as a way of helping myself get over my anxiety. It's something I have never spoken openly about, but writing my blog posts and reading other people's blogs helps to distract me from my worries. It's a place I can go to just unwind and relax and just forget about the stresses of life. I do it as a hobby, something that I enjoy and unlike Essena and a few others out there, I will not let numbers define me. The amount of followers I have on Twitter or Instagram or the amount of people I have reading my blog will never consume me. I'd be doing this even if there was only 1 person reading.
Don't let numbers define you. Don't let the pressure get to you. By this I mean, if you haven't stuck to your schedule, missed a post day, or not uploaded a video to YouTube, don't worry! It's your choice and you should never feel like you HAVE to stick to it. Essena spoke about the overwhelming pressure she felt whilst having a job based around social media, that she felt like she missed out on her teenage years because she was surrounded by the internet. It doesn't have to be like that and the views that people have about social media now should not be defined by one girl who was weighed down by unnecessary pressure. The point I'm ultimately trying to make, is that social media is what YOU make it. You are in control, not social media. You don't need hundred likes on a photo or thousands of followers to be successful or to be happy. Just remember that!
What are your views on social media? Is it fake? Let me know!
This whole situation drove me bonkers. If you let something like social media define you, it'll break you. I watched her video before it was removed and the entire thing was for show and I cringed from the beginning to the end!
ReplyDeleteGreat post though :) x
Exactly! I will never ever let social media define me. I think it's a great place but you have to use it wisely. YOU are always in control, if you let it control you then that's when things get out of hand. :)
DeleteThank you lovely!
Krystal x