My Relationship With Technology

 I am definitely an avid technology user. I enjoy social media, movies, TV, music, etc. I know I have quite an online footprint because of this, so I try to keep myself aware of how much I am using it, as well as what I am posting and how it makes me look. I use Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook, LinkedIn, VSCO, and Twitter almost daily. I enjoy using them to stay in touch with friends and family, keep up with news and pop culture, and for the entertainment that it provides. Because my major is Media Production and Entrepreneurship, I do believe that it's important that I use social media to be well versed in it. A lot of marketing takes place on social media, and a lot of businesses start out on it and then blow up from there. 

My favorite social media is undoubtedly Instagram and VSCO. This is because I enjoy taking pictures, as well as editing them. However, I have to keep myself aware that, for my generation, Instagram is probably the first place someone will look you up. I know if someone brings up a name to me, the first thing I do is pull up their Instagram to put a face to the name. Therefore, it is important to maintain a clean presence on Instagram because employers will do the same thing. 

When I googled myself, I was not shocked to find my Instagram profile came up first, followed by LinkedIn. This actually also made me happy because these are the platforms that I put the most effort into regarding my image. I felt that what I found represented me in a positive light, and I will continue to be cautious of what I post to keep it that way. 

I know very well that social media can be a very toxic place. This is why I always try to remind myself that as fun as it can be, it is all fake. I also try to be careful of how much time I am spending on it. What ends up happening when you spend too much time on social media, is you start to place way more value on it than you should. For example, if I scroll through TikTok or Instagram too long, there's a good chance I am going to feel very insecure by the time I close the app. Beauty standards are one of the most toxic things about social media, and no matter how hard you try, it's extremely difficult to not fall victim to them. Our brains are constantly critiquing ourselves and comparing ourselves to others even though we know we shouldn't. Rationally, we should be able to recognize that everyone on social media is posting themselves when they feel confident. They are posting themselves at their best angles, when their hair is done, when they have their favorite outfit on, etc. How do I know this? Because I do the same thing! And it still gets to me sometimes when I start comparing myself.

It is easy to see the downsides of a digital footprint through cancel culture. Sometimes the things people post online will not accurately reflect their character or who they are as a person. It is also important to recognize that this does go both ways. I'm sure there are people who make themselves look so much better on social media than they are in real life. This is where it all being "fake" comes in. 

When I watched the "Futurama" video, it made a lot of sense to me. Because I have, overall, had a positive experience using social media, I definitely would hope that it would be more accurate. However, when I watched the Mad World Remix video, I related to that one as well. As I mentioned, I have definitely found myself on the wrong end of social media before, and it can be extremely damaging to your mental health if you are not careful. I can also agree that as a society, we have placed way too much value on social media and made it much more than a place to connect with people and share fun content that makes you happy or feel inspired. 

Technology can be a great thing if you use it for the right reasons. It takes a lot of work to be careful of how you're using it, but it's worth it to enjoy all it has to offer! When I was applying to be a media fellow, one of the things I submitted in my application was a piece I wrote about the positive sides of social media that are frequently less talked about. I wrote about all of the great things social media and technology provide. I see those things even more now with the pandemic. Technology was our saving grace during quarantine because we were able to stay connected, and updated on what was going on. Between all the movies I watched to keep myself entertained, still having access to my course materials and professors to finish the semester, and zoom chatting with my friends and family every night, technology and media really helped get us through that difficult time. 

I am definitely going to continue to use social media. I enjoy it and it is important for the career I want to pursue to have knowledge in social media. I am very careful about what I post and always make sure I am safe.