I sit here, writing this, in complete irony. I live and breathe in a transforming digital society, especially studying a major that is so deeply invested in technology and media. Yes, this is what our generation has evolved into, but who says it is what has to define us? We are the millennials and this is our platform. This is our opportunity for our voices to be heard and stories to be shared. Yet, we’ve overlooked this, because we’ve let social media influence our everyday lives.
We no longer are our true selves, we merely live through a screen. We live comparing our lives to other people's lives. We live to be recognized. We live to be pretty, fit, stylish or just famous.
Why have we let social media validate who we are? Has our society really become so brainwashed, or just blind?
Ever lay in bed, scrolling through each social network? Instagram? Facebook? Snapchat? Twitter? I mean, just look at how many networking services we have available at the tip of our fingers. Social media has altered the way we behave, the way we interact and the way we perceive just about everything. Everyone wants to be a makeup artist, a hair stylist, a Youtube personality, a blogger or a fitness guru. This is all anyone wants to be anymore. The days of originality are no longer with us. Our culture is so self-absorbed that we’ve ignored actual issues going on in the world. Have you heard about our climate change? Gender equality? Food and Agricultural issues? Unlikely.
We are too busy getting the perfect picture, posting the right status and perfecting our virtual lives to actually notice the real world. Social media has created that second world for us, full of illusions, expectations, lifestyles that are simply impossible to live up to. Social media can, and will, fool you if you let it.
I am not social media, nor do I wish to be. I wish to be bold. I wish to be daring. I wish to be innovative. Let this be a reminder to those who need it, you are good enough. Where you are now, is good enough. When it is your time, you will get there in your own pace. Of course, we watch Snapchat and Instagram and see how lavish, luxurious and perfect our friends are living because of the social media shield. It shields us from the truth. It disguises the fact that our virtual-world is exceedingly different from our real-world. We have to remember the significance of interpersonal conversations, holding hands, relationships, the ability to laugh, argue, and look directly into eyes.
That like, retweet or share does not define you, your life or your future. You define you. There had been a point in my life, where I thought my identity was only relevant if I was frequently on social media. I was wrong. Now, I spend less time on my phone, less time taking selfies, less time doing my hair and makeup, and more time uncovering my true self.
