In today's society, everything has to do with social media. We make plans, communicate, date, and follow each other's lives. We are posting constantly about the things we are doing and the places we are going, doing this in hope to show our followers and "friends" what's happening in our lives.
Although everything seems to be surrounded by social media, the real question is; Is social media everything?
Our society sure makes it seem that way. People making big deals left and right about how so and so doesn't follow them or how their most recent post didn't get over 500 likes. No matter if it's Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook, everyone seems to be invested into the world within their screen.
Although it may seem like I'm bashing the social media presence in today's society, I'm invested myself. I love posting about things I'm doing, opinions I may have on topics, songs I'd recommend, and so much more. My social media pages are a reflection of myself and who I truly am. My socials are my playground of expression where I can do what I want without face-to-face judgment.
My social media platforms are also my sanctuary. I follow people who inspire me, make me feel good, and keep me interested. My social media feeds are under my control at all times. If I didn't control who popped up on that feed, social media would very quickly become a very negative aspect of my life.
And I have had that before. When I was in high school, my social media was a popularity contest. I followed everyone I knew, even if we had only spoken a few times. I would be constantly seeing photos of people that bothered me; classmates doing fun things that I wasn't invited to, which inevitably made me jealous; individuals doing bad, inappropriate things that I didn't agree with; random people that made me ask, "who is that?" every time their photo might have come up on my feed.
I learned over the years that having control of my social media is the point of having social media in the first place. Our profiles should be our own, showing our true selves. They shouldn't be pages dictated by the expectations of others.
With that being said, over the years I have unfollowed a lot of people. Not entirely because I may not be friends with them anymore or we don't talk, but because their accounts don't match the vibe I'm trying to set with my social media. I need to be following individuals who make me feel happy, not anxious. Unfollowing everyone was my way of setting myself up for success.
I have nothing against a lot of the people I unfollowed, but I know in the world we live in, people are bound to get a little hurt by the idea of someone "unfollowing them."
Here's the deal: If you don't like, support, or vibe with someone's social media posts, unfollow them. If you get annoyed every time they post, unfollow them. If you seem to be picking apart every little thing in their posts or profile, just unfollow them. It's as simple as that.
Social media is supposed to be a place for us to express ourselves, not express judgment. If you have a problem with any of my sappy posts, selfies, or irrelevant rants, unfollow me. I won't even question it. I respect whatever reason that may be. But if we're being honest, we're talking about followers here. Not life or death. Remember that.
