We live in an environment where everything we want to say, watch or read is one click away. However, as social media develops and evolves, we seem to be regressing. It is now less about starting conversations and engaging in dialogues, and more about who has created the most relevant hashtag that compliments the photo that is meant to make others envious. Don’t get me wrong -- I am a social media enthusiast under most circumstances, but I am not always certain that we are using the platforms available to us to the best of our abilities. Written below is how I have grown on my social media and how I would currently rate my use of each platform out of 10.

1. Facebook

I joined Facebook in 2010, right before I started high school and just as the Icy Tower craze was dying down, much like Farmville before it. At first, it was like Pandora’s Box was opened -- my self-restraint being the only thing left when I hastily closed the box. I liked countless pages and posted embarrassing photos that I eventually vowed to never let see the light of the screen again. I now use Facebook probably the least of all my social media. Facebook is like the toy that you played with frequently as a child. You hardly glance at it now, but it reminds you of simpler times, such as when your Facebook friends wrote about all of their feelings (fun fact: some people never left that phase). Today, I use it as a tool to post my written works and to link the occasional Instagram photo.

Rating: 7/10

2. Twitter

I joined Twitter in August 2012 and I think that I have changed more on my Twitter account than any other social media account that I have. When I first joined, it was with the intention of solely following celebrities (namely "Harry Potter" actors and the members of One Direction; I’m not ashamed), but I now use it primarily as a means to create my brand as a journalist. I share my latest articles and pin them to the top of my page and I also “quote tweet” news outlets so that I can share my views on current events. Amidst all of that, I also retweet posts from the fandoms that I enjoy. Therefore, I think that I have the perfect balance between professional and lighthearted posts on my account, as I hint at in my bio.

Rating: 9/10

3. Snapchat

Snapchat is one of the few social media outlets that needs to evolve more than the rest of us. As far as I’m concerned, Snapchat is solely for fun and if you’re trying to write a dissertation about your meal in the limited space available, you’re clearly on the wrong platform. That being said, Snapchat can do more and it has started to try; the Discover page, which was once all the way to the right, is now part of the Stories page. It allows people on the app to read about what’s going on in the world in one beat, while sending a photo wearing dog-ears in the next one. There is one missing link though -- we have short attention spans and if it doesn’t flash or ding -- it probably won’t grab our attention and keep it for an extended period of time. Therefore, I tend to find the Discover feature an unnecessary obstacle when it comes to viewing my friends’ stories, which in turn makes me less compelled to explore it.

Rating: 4/10

4. Tumblr

Tumblr is easily the perfect platform for any mood that you’re in -- if you want to rant, post gifs or simply reblog photos of Harry Styles until your heart’s content (just me?), the sky is the limit. I haven’t changed up my blogging style since I fell into the Tumblr abyss years ago, but I think that’s acceptable. If your blog is anything like mine, it’s a stream-of-consciousness rather than a blog with a purpose and I think that’s perfectly fine because if I stumble across something that I like, I don’t want to have to worry about people giving me a side-eye if it’s unrelated to the last thing that I posted.

Rating: 10/10

5. Instagram

My first Instagram post was a photo of me and my father… cute, right? Sadly, I thought it would be cool to take that photo directly from Snapchat and leave the caption visible. We all have to start somewhere, I suppose. I am constantly changing and developing my Instagram page, but to be fair, I think that Instagram changes more frequently than I do. Nonetheless, I don’t consider Instagram to be a platform for genuine engagement. It can be used to post photos, but these photos are only snapshots of a moment that is so contrived by angling and lighting that they lose their original context. However, that’s OK, as long as you’re aware that you cannot go on Instagram searching for depth and expecting to feel like you truly experienced a genuine moment in someone’s life. Simply enjoy each other’s photos with no expectations; my photos tend to consist of nature, quotes, food or friends.

Rating: 6/10

Our social media is what we make of it, so we should try to remember that how we behave on one platform does not always cross over well to another. Hashtags can stay on Twitter and away from Facebook and Twitter is easily the best forum to voice your political views. If you want to share a photo with family or friends though, any one of these platforms can work as long as you remove the rose-colored glasses and post conscientiously.