Dear Alex,
Social Media is a wild time.
You will navigate these social sites and apps with caution,naivety and uniqeness. Please do not use it to measure wether you are “popular” or well liked by your classmates. THIS IS A TRAP. Remember what you mother always said “you do not know what people had to do to get where they are.” Too often do you compare youself to other people and questioning your own self worth.Using silly metrics such as likes,followers and comments to feel good about yourself. These do not matter. Do not post/share certain things or stop yourself from posting things becuase thats what you think other people would like.
Instead use it to find things you are intrested in and to follow and discover liked minded people. You love food and social media has made it super easy to find resturants and recipes that you will try. You will go on some really cool adventures and discover new places due to people sharing cool places to eat. YouTube is where you will find people like Issa Rae who understands what its like to be an Awkard Black Girl. Spotify will help you to curate and discover new bands and old favourites. Don’t be afraid to share and show people your intrest becuase and you will find that people in real life will talk to you about your passions and intrest because of your social media.
You can be very judemental at times and social media does not help with that vice. Do not compare and judge people on what they post. You will engage in micro-harassment with sharing things on group chats or making fun of people’s content at the cafteria table. Instead be more openminded and focus on the uniqueness of people instead of making other people feel small.
Lastly remember to put the phone down and take a break. You have this constant fear that you are missing out on something cool or important and the truth is you probably arent. You need to take a breather from these social sites and sleep or read a book.
Social Media is a blessing. You will be connected to so many people and discover new and exciting things. However it is also a curse, which can bring out the worse in you and the people you know. It can cause to feel like you have to live up to some high standard or like you are missing out. Use and embrace social media but be cautious and keep your heart three stacks.
By, Alexandria Montague
