Dear Social Media,
I hate you, but I love you. I hate that I’ve become nothing more than someone who constantly checks her Facebook and Twitter. I hate that I spend my free time glued to my phone instead of exploring the world around me more. I hate that I get in trouble for using all of the data. But most of all, I hate that I’ve become one of those people that cares how they are depicted in pictures.
Growing up in this age of social media, I think I've become more aware of my image and appearance probably more than I should be. I let lighting and stance determine how much value a picture has instead of the memories that it brings up. I scroll through Instagram looking at pictures of people who know how to use light and stance to portray a false image of themselves instead of a realistic one and I put more value there than I should.
When did I become so image obsessed; when did looking like I was having fun become more important than actually having fun? My phone is just that, a phone. It's nothing more than pieces of metal and parts stuck together pulling up a Photoshopped picture and edited statuses. It’s fake, but still it’s get treated like it’s actually worth more than it is.
What it is, what it’s supposed to be, is a way to connect with the world; to connect and meet people you would otherwise never have the chance of. With a Facebook account, I can talk to friends in Ireland. I can video chat or Facetime with someone hours away.
It’s a trap, but it doesn’t have to be deadly. In the words of Uncle Ben “With great power comes great responsibility.” YouTube and Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are all powerful, sometimes dangerous, tools; for instance, everyone knows the face and name of the Stanford rapist, but everyone can also be a victim of cyberbullying.
In my opinion, we all spend so much time worrying about ourselves and being noticed and feeling important that, anymore, we hardly see the good or try to do good in social media.
Instead of spending time looking through a screen and a camera lens, I need to be worrying about my impact in the world without worrying about how people perceive me to be on a screen. The only thing more important than doing things for the picture is doing things for the story; doing something to say you did, whether or not there is photographic and Internet documented proof. Working out because it's good for you, not to take a picture to get the likes. Experiencing the world as is, not posting things because you want the likes.
So if this letter sounds a bit like a breakup, that’s because it kind of is. I refuse to let the rest of my life be influenced by the number of likes and retweets I can get. I’m more than some profile picture, I’m a real person and I should be treating myself as such.
Living in the real world instead of 'liking' on the Internet. So yes, I’m breaking up with you, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be friends. I’ll be back to check on friends and family I haven’t seen in a while, but you won’t find me being sucked into your black hole of cooking videos and memes.
Sincerely,
Millennial Voice
