As someone who is always on their phone, or at least I used to be, I understand how it feels to look at a popular Instagram influencer and wonder why my life is not as glamorous as theirs. It is hard seeing someone who has perfect editing, over 100,000 followers and seems like they get everything they want in life. However, I have never been one to actually look down on myself for what I am not and what they are. I actually have used it to be more motivated with the goals I have for myself.
I have written about how I recently mustered up the courage to start my own Youtube channel and it has been really hard to keep up with considering I am a full-time college student and my major has NOTHING to do with filming, editing, or photography. I watch Youtube on the daily and it is definitely an addiction. I love creating new content and putting it out for my friends and family to view. That is basically who watches me considering I have about 25 followers. But that does not stop me!
Since being a college student really takes up a majority of my time, it is hard to find time to actually film and get a video together. Although it is a passion of mine, the motivation is not there. That is where social media not being as evil as some people say it comes into play. Yes, it is hard to look at people being successful at something you aspire to be. But that is not something that really gets me down...if anything, it makes me more determined to fulfill my goals and aspirations.
It is really had to make it in the Youtube world. That is just a reality people have to face. It is not social media influencers that create the evil in holding someone back, it is the reality of putting in the work and not getting what you want out of it. Since I have been in this rut of not creating, I looked to my friends and family and the same response I got back each time was, "you have to stay consistent with how much you post and you need to know what is coming next." Recently, I have been working on finding the time to schedule out videos to film, what I want to create, and when I am going to get them up. After sitting down and looking at other people fulfill my dreams, I decided to take it seriously. I am trying to promise myself that if I keep up with my channel, make videos that I am interested in, whatever the outcome may be, I will be happy.
Social media alone and influencers to me will never be evil. If anything, they motivate me to make the dreams I have had since I was a 7-year-old, come true. They show me that what I love to do, can have a really awesome and special outcome. They prove to me that my passions can actually make a living for myself if that is the path that I am being brought down. They motivate me to keep creating, not get discouraged, and do what I love despite the outcome.