Social Media: It’s your choice.
Beauty for some, a curse for others. You decide.
Social media. Sure, it’s media and technology driven, and it’s super social. It’s a place that can be too social and overwhelming for some, and also truly invigorating for others.
Social media can provide a really great way to express yourself. It can be an efficient way connect with your peers or long-lost family or friends. Although, some teens and adults might simply feel that they really don’t fit in.
It can be a place where people feel bullied by their social network or may start to feel irrelevant when compared to the lives portrayed by those in their social network.
It can be a place that personifies disconnection for some instead of connection. It can be a place that literally sucks up all of your free time!
Bottom line: We can’t just assume that everyone wants to be involved in social media. It’s a personal choice, and that’s ok.
There are many reasons why we choose to use or leverage social media apps, websites or online tools, as they can actually to help us reach a personal goal that matters to us.
And let’s remember, we DO get to choose! So choose wisely!
Just because your friends are using an app or tool, doesn’t mean it’s right for you. First, you have to know yourself and know your “why”. Why do you use social media? Are social media tools living up to the hype for you? If your answer is no, you can choose to make a change. Engage with different tools that do help you get where you want to go most in life. For some that can mean NO social media engagement. Ok, that’s a choice. But there could be some costs associated with that choice, like missing out on the efficiency and ease or speed of direct communication that most social media tools provide. If those things are not important to the pursuit of your goals, then you can certainly choose to live without them.
I’d still argue though, in our quickly changing world, that using some technology or social media tools is better than none. And like with most things in life, moderation— which is about making choices — is the key. It’s a personal decision. If you are someone who wants more real and live connections with the people and the natural world right in front of you, then you’d likely choose to engage with fewer, yet highly leverageable, tools that will get you to your goals. Maybe faster, maybe slower — but you get to choose. If you are someone who needs or wants the constant connection to your family, friends, and colleagues, and the excitement of seeing faraway people and places to inspire you, you’ll probably choose to engage with lots of social media tools, and really love it!
Actually, that’s the beauty and curse of social media in a nutshell. It can open up the world for some (beauty!), just as it can feel like a burden for others (curse). Just remember that there are as many social media tools that can actually help you, as those that may frustrate you! And I think that’s the point. So, proceed with caution, choose wisely, and then just be ok with how you choose to spend your precious time on this amazing and interconnected planet!
