Social media is something I have spent a lot of time on, especially over these past few days. The image that is portrayed on social media for most girls is very important. I know that I put a lot of effort into what I post in hopes of approval meaning the likes on each post. On Instagram I keep things PG-13, I have a few extended family following my account and I don't need them to say something not positive about my feed the next time I see them. I also strategically use filters, pick hopefully clever captions, the first picture has to catch the person scrolling's attention and the bio has to be kept sweet and simple. I have a twitter but I personally have not used mine since 2018. But I do scroll through the feed every once and awhile, I also use it to get updates on what is happening at my University. Facebook is of course kept PG because the Only reason I have it is to keep up with my extended family and my high school teachers that I became friends with during school. But I do not want my family and teachers to see that I spent every weekend of college at a Frat party or Club.
Snapchat is a whole different kind of social media, the app was originally made for unholy things. It sometimes is still used for that. But it is more than the typical social media app, because I use it as both a "platform" and the main way I communicate with everyone except for my parents. Everything I post on my not private story is seen by over two hundred and that is somehow more intimidating than posting on Instagram. The creation of private stories on Snapchat are wild selecting certain people to see your posts, I for one am always honored when I am added to someones private stories I feel a weird amount of trust. I think the evolution of Snapchat has been the craziest evolution of a social media app ever.
Social media with all it's fun aspects, it also has a negative side. It has changed the way people act, the way we dress the way we see and treat each other. I put at least mascara on everyday to make sure I look okay because without it I would feel like I am not pretty enough to be seen by the pubic. When I put makeup on I say to people "I decided to look like a human today haha" I am constantly looking for validation, because that is what I have been trained to do. I am constantly worried that boys won't like me without makeup on, when I had to get glasses I thought I was going to automatically become unattractive or seem nerdy. I was afraid of what would happen to the pictures I would post on social media. At the end of the most recent season of the bachelor there was a segment about cyber bullying the fact that a very popular reality television show felt that it needed to be pointed out just shows that the comments and the reactions that we have to posts has a major effect on how people feel and see themselves. I wish social media did not effect me as much as it does and that's why I always hype people up as often as I can on all platforms.
