Social Media Does This To You
In a world where mobile is king, the Internet has provided people with a sense of community while excluding in the process. Social media does this to you.

‘Social media can help you tell the difference between infected zombies and innocent humans — the problem is that everyone is both at one point in their lives.’
I’ve been fascinated by two things about people for a long time.
1. What they do with their time after work
2. How different their character is between social media and real life
The first might not seem related to the second but usually the first is concentrated time consuming media in digital form.
YouTube, Reddit, Netflix or just the news on the old box.
The second pertains to this marked difference between how people portray themselves online and how they act in reality.
Some are exactly the same.
Some are opposites.
I’ve been in the position where I’ve fallen victim to the social media culture of promoting the good times and failing to mention the sad ones.
I’ve been part of the perpetuation of the ‘Instagram life’.
Social media can help you tell the difference between infected zombies and innocent humans — the problem is that everyone is both at one point in their lives.
Unlike zombies, it’s possible to revert back and regain control of your life.
Another thing that fascinates me is the people who don’t interact with social media. It’s not a generational thing. People my age just don’t have a social profile, anywhere.
For countless reasons, I might add, but the Internet will rule the future whether you like it or not.
Hackers are immanent but there is no point fearing the malicious acts of others. As of late, if you were to maintain such attitude, you would fail to make it outside out of fear of what might happen.
I want to point this conversation backwards.
Only a few months. It was my last few weeks in Austin and I set myself a seemingly impossible task.
‘To sit outside the social media bubble, observe and interact without feeling infected or affected. To understand the way the ecosystem works, but not falling foul to the system and its tricks.’
I presented this idea to Will and Amalia at the time.
I thought it was nearly impossible, but through the blog and having some thoughtful conversations, I think I’ve managed it.
My knowledge of social culture is ripe but I don’t feel the urge to post on social media for the sake of it.
I post on Instagram for a very strategic reason, a reason which I have been truthful from the beginning of this blog; I want to drive traffic from my Instagram and it’s been successful with an average of 1000 viewers per month visiting the blog.
I don’t document my life through daily snaps and posting online as it happens.
I share if I feel it’s worth my time and time of others.
Social media is congested with a lot of free material to digest. I only want to post things that are important to me or bring value to other people.
Also, I realise most people don’t care about what people post on social media. What’s the point of posting, to people who don’t care, when you think they do? It’s a waste.
If you’re happy to post and it makes you feel valued, without the feedback of others, post to your heart’s content.
Social media is the queen to the mobile being king.
The Internet is the Emperor.
We consume more content on our mobiles than ever before.
Social media is making you aware — news at your fingertips.
Social media is making you acceptable — everyone interacts with it.
Social media is making you connected — globalisation at your fingertips.
Social media is making you discover — opens the doors to new expanses which leads to consumer culture of buying holidays, new clothes and trying new restaurants.
Social media is making you poorer — buying into the culture means that companies are able to your analytics to target a product towards you and tempt you to buy it (the secret of Instagram influencers).
Social media is making you jealous — self-esteem is based off appearance (unfortunately) in this day and age. If someone looks better, you devalue yourself. Self-deprecate, not only to gain sympathy but also to make you feel like you have a community.
Social media is making you social — believe it or not, you’re actually more like to communicate and make friends and feel happier when you talk over social media. You don’t have to use your vocal speech, you can carefully construct messages and control the rate of consumption to your social insecurity needs.
Social media is making you dependent (on the Internet) — complaints over Internet speed and the slowness of devices is caused by the instantaneous passage of communication.
Social media makes you feel comfortable. It gives you enterntainment in the darkest of hours. It’s a great tool. It’s also the future.
It’s not bad. It’s used for malicious motives, but everything created by man has the same effect.
‘If it gets in the wrong hands… it could be bad’
Social media is already in bad hands. It’s also in good hands. We all play both roles.
It’s impossible to get away from, and it’s a future, reputation and liability which we’ll have to deal with.
If anything, social media is making you more Communist.
The fact that there are winners and losers on social media is the same as Communism.
You feel part of a community. You interact on seemingly the same level. There are controllers of the medium. It’s oppressive but it can be good sometimes.
I’m fascinated by Communism, but that’s for another time.
As the West has portrayed it, this Internet-age technology is 21st Century Communism.
Information for the masses.
Social media is making you feel a part of something.
Social media has great powers and terrible uses. It’s how you perceive yourself in the cycle.
I sit outside with binoculars looking in — a bystander if you will.
Social media does this to you.