There's no doubt that people today have the tendency to quantify self-worth through analysis of social media and public presence. Whether you agree with this or not, are a supporter of social media, or have never even used “The Instagram," a lot can be said on the topic of social media and self-expression.
Lately, I've found myself thinking twice before posting things, because I worry about what people will think of me. “Is this filter too intense?" “Can I actually pull off this red lipstick?" “Are {these} //symbols\\ > > still < < ~|cool|~?" I'm a “musician" so I'll post videos of me singing and playing music, and every time I do I get nervous about what people are saying with their friends behind their screens. Do people think I'm that girl who thinks she can sing but can't? I have no idea. But what I do know is that from now on, I'm trying as hard as I possibly can to literally not care.
So what if I posted twice today? I took a fab picture with my friends yesterday, and the view of the sunset tonight was beautiful, too. So what if I post a video of the new song I wrote? My music is a part of who I am, and if social media is supposed to be a virtual representation of yourself, I think it's fair to include something like that.
No, I don't believe that our entire generation is wrong for reading into Instagram captions, how often someone sends a Tweet, or the number of selfies a person posts. In a lot of ways, it's how we were raised; it's “the norm" and social norms will continue to change, develop, and grow just as technology and society do so. Unfortunately, one person's beliefs regarding social standards will not likely change those standards. However, it's up to the individual to set his or her own standards for his or herself.
- Give no cares about what people say about selfies. Post it because you feel good about yourself and you deserve to be proud of that.
- Take the artsy pic with the cliché caption. Do you.
- Understand that these social media sites and apps that take up so much of our time are just people's highlight reels, which is fine, but should be taken into consideration when you start comparing yourself to someone's like-to-minutes ratio, follower count, or filter selection.
So stop caring so much about what other people think of the pictures you're taking, things you're doing, songs your singing, or lipstick you're wearing, and start living more by what makes you feel good about yourself.
