I often find myself in a weird spot for social media. I didn't really grow up with it. When I was in high school, I did have a facebook, and I started this journey into social media with myspace back in the day. But no one had smart phones and it was something you checked when you were done with your homework on the desktop computer. Now, there are so many platforms of social media and I often feel too old to understand it all.
I understand that I am a part of the generation that had it, as half of my Facebook friend list is still people that I was first friends with in high school. But I also see how it is all changing, as high school kids these days don't even have Facebook and prefer to communicate over Twitter or Snapchat. So as someone who still feels out of touch with social media because I didn't even get a smart phone until college or have a Snapchat until I was almost graduated, I'd like to ask a few questions about social media.
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1. What is the preferred platform?
When you meet someone new, what is the first thing you add them on? I have new people add me on random platforms and sometimes it doesn't make sense to me. For example, snapchat to me is a little more personal for my closer friends that I might be regularly sending pictures to. Facebook is more formal where I have a lot of "friends" that are not my real-life friends. Twitter is the same with a more casual tone. But it is confusing when someone you don't know that well follows you on snapchat or instagram instead of starting with Facebook or Twitter. Also, what is the proper etiquette for adding new friends? Should you add someone on every platform all at once or do you progressively move on to different ones as you get to know a person more
2. Snapchat
Is there too much you can snap someone? When is it appropriate to start a snap streak with someone? Should you really get mad over someone breaking a snap streak or not snapping you back every day? Is it preferable to chat on snapchat where it will disappear or should I just text the person? Also, does it really matter who views your story?
3. Facebook
Is it really necessary to update it all the time with every life event or promotion? I thought that was what Linkedin was for. Also, should I feel pressured to make a post "I am proud to announce *insert promotion, graduation, engagement, house purchase, pregnancy, or other "major life event" here*? Although I am often happy for people who post these things on Facebook, it just seems braggy to me most of the time and can get annoying.
4. Twitter
Is there a point to twitter other than to bitch about whatever comes to mind? It's short format makes it very easy to quickly get on your phone and say something you might regret later. Also, what is the point of subtweeting other than to seem cryptic and pissed off? There's noting wrong with taking the classic approach of keeping a diary where you can write all about the people that piss you off that is more private and isn't just an attention grab like most subtweets are.
5. Instagram
Another one that feels a bit more personal than Facebook or Linkedin, but still is just as confusing to me. Apparently there is an acceptable time to post pictures in order to get the most likes, but I still have no clue when this is. Is it at night? Morning? Or Evening? During the lunch hour? I suppose it all depends on who follows you, people who are awake mainly at night and look at their phones then or people who wake up early and actually have lunch hours and look at their social media in the morning before going into work at 9am.
Social media is fascinating to me. It can bring people together from all over the world and help you stay connected to family and loved ones. But it also can be destructive and hurtful, as you might overthink the importance of liking a picture or of who views your content. The future of social media will also be interesting to see play out as people grow up and begin to either get off of it, or shift to new platforms and abandon others, like how myspace was forgotten about for Facebook and how Facebook is not the preferred platform of younger generations today. I suppose this article probably makes me seem old, as I try to figure out what social media is all about still. Yet I think it is a fascinating look into our society and how individuals interact with each other and how this is always evolving and what it might look like in the future.
