What do I think of it? Interesting question. (I haven't read all the responses here.)
Like so many things in life, I think social media is what you make it. It can be a wonderful thing, and it can be a disaster.
I have an Instagram account that I don't post on, but I follow many fantastic accounts like NASA, National Geographic, and various nature, history, music, dance, and wildlife sites. The content is really high-level and interesting. Great photography and fun facts aplenty. I also follow the official team account of my favorite sports, and seeing the behind-the-scenes training is really great. I get a lot out of my IG account.
But....a friend's daughter has a terrible Instagram account that sums up what's bad about social media. She's 30 but is forever posting videos of herself with her tongue stuck out like Miley Cyrus, winking and teasing the camera, wearing very little, tiny skintight tops with no bra and very obvious nipples, spliff in hand, and when WAP came out, she actually posted a video of herself to that music lifting her mini-skirt and exposing her bare butt cheek. Sigh. And her account is public, too! Any weirdo could see her and potentially track her down at the restaurant where she works, since her account is under her real name and she posts about her workplace. Even if no weirdos find her, her content just makes her look bad, imo.
Facebook is great for keeping in touch with people who are far away, but it also triggers all my insecurities about whether I made the right choice not to have children. My friends post strongly and frequently about how much they love their children, and of course there are many happy family photos. Even if you know that having children would have been a super-bad decision in your circumstances, it's really hard not to feel bad about being a non-parent when you look at Facebook. It really should be called FamilyBook!
YouTube has some great how-to videos. I learned how to color my own hair from one very generous and talented hairdresser who gave away all the trade secrets! There are also a lot of very funny videos on there.
I agree that there is lots of showing off on social media, in general. I know someone who married a man with a lot of money and isn't shy about posting her amazing life on her IG account - no need to work, devoted husband, three gorgeous sons, frequent foreign holidays. If I had all that, I would never, ever show off like that. I'd be super-aware that not everyone is so fortunate.
I have enjoyed interacting with faraway friends on Facebook - it's really helped keep those relationships alive - and I love the quality IG content of the organizations I follow. But with social media I would definitely say to proceed with care. It can be deeply irritating.
Like so many things in life, I think social media is what you make it. It can be a wonderful thing, and it can be a disaster.
I have an Instagram account that I don't post on, but I follow many fantastic accounts like NASA, National Geographic, and various nature, history, music, dance, and wildlife sites. The content is really high-level and interesting. Great photography and fun facts aplenty. I also follow the official team account of my favorite sports, and seeing the behind-the-scenes training is really great. I get a lot out of my IG account.
But....a friend's daughter has a terrible Instagram account that sums up what's bad about social media. She's 30 but is forever posting videos of herself with her tongue stuck out like Miley Cyrus, winking and teasing the camera, wearing very little, tiny skintight tops with no bra and very obvious nipples, spliff in hand, and when WAP came out, she actually posted a video of herself to that music lifting her mini-skirt and exposing her bare butt cheek. Sigh. And her account is public, too! Any weirdo could see her and potentially track her down at the restaurant where she works, since her account is under her real name and she posts about her workplace. Even if no weirdos find her, her content just makes her look bad, imo.
Facebook is great for keeping in touch with people who are far away, but it also triggers all my insecurities about whether I made the right choice not to have children. My friends post strongly and frequently about how much they love their children, and of course there are many happy family photos. Even if you know that having children would have been a super-bad decision in your circumstances, it's really hard not to feel bad about being a non-parent when you look at Facebook. It really should be called FamilyBook!
YouTube has some great how-to videos. I learned how to color my own hair from one very generous and talented hairdresser who gave away all the trade secrets! There are also a lot of very funny videos on there.
I agree that there is lots of showing off on social media, in general. I know someone who married a man with a lot of money and isn't shy about posting her amazing life on her IG account - no need to work, devoted husband, three gorgeous sons, frequent foreign holidays. If I had all that, I would never, ever show off like that. I'd be super-aware that not everyone is so fortunate.
I have enjoyed interacting with faraway friends on Facebook - it's really helped keep those relationships alive - and I love the quality IG content of the organizations I follow. But with social media I would definitely say to proceed with care. It can be deeply irritating.
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