January 3rd 2017 is a day to remember as Kim Kardashian-West makes her first social media appearance since her being robbed in Paris months ago. The Internet has rejoiced as our social media queen is back, however, things are a little different.
Since her leaving social media much has happened inside her world: she has been overcoming the stress of being robbed at gunpoint, raising her children, working, and helping her husband Kanye recover from his hospital visit (also due to exhaustion and stress) all while staying pretty much completely silent. As a fan, I waited patiently for her next post, wondering what it could be and how she could bounce back from her silence. In her first post, she and her family (Kanye, North, and Saint) are pictured with a nostalgic filter over the image. This is to reassure the fans and general public that the divorce rumors are far from true. In a video posted, the song, “Paradise,” by Jeremiah cascades over footage of her and her family. The video is beautiful, sentimental, and loving. This awaited return is iconic and truly telling of the rest of her career.
With months of her social media, “fill-in’s,” missing, we have been unable to check up on Kim and see her continuously changing style in motion. Some people will disagree with the importance of social media for a public figure as some believe social media is nothing but a narcissistic act, but companies like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, gives life to these public figures and allows them to have a special connection to fans. With the Kardashian’s, Jenner’s, and the West’s, we have developed a special, and personal, connection with them due to their openness throughout these years. Their social media image is so vastly important to their careers as well as the companies they post on. This family's actions on social media have provoked certain social growths within our society due to their influence. Her return to social media was, in my opinion, detrimental to her career as well as our own individual social media patterns. Because where would our Instagram's be without a little influence from the Kardashian klan?
Compared to her previous posts I can't help but wonder if this is the new style she will be posting in from now on in fear of being too personal with the public, again jeopardizing her and her family’s safety. I’m not referring to the filter or subject matter of the posts, even though the subject matter was obviously controlled in order to subdue the growing divorce rumors between her and Kanye, but rather the seemingly controlled vibe that came with them.
After her robbery and promise to take a break from social media I immediately reflected on how much different her image will be when she returns, and I was right. Other celebrities such as Beyonce have this vibe: strategically controlled public image. With impersonal pictures and captions, we will no longer witness Kim Kardashian-West in an organic form. We will probably no longer read tweets from her that display her outspoken spirit on matters that she believes in, but rather vague and impersonal tweets. Everything will double checked and most likely have a time lag. The Kim Kardashian-West we have come to know through her most personal struggles may be no more. No longer will the way we have connected with the reality star be the same. This is important to recognize as this reflects her growth as a person, but will also lead to an unknown, unpredictable, yet exclusive future we will surely all be there for.
