Dear Present Rachel; From Present Rachel
TBH I have the worst memory in the entire world so I’m going to go a little off the rails for a second and attempt to write a letter to my current social media addicted and impacted self from my critical thinking, fully rational, holistically confident self that exists outside of social media. I think this is going to allow to be more critical of how I can move forward with what I’ve learned in #RTA902. Basically, this is a series of letters to my present self that exists within the depths of social media to my (other) present self that floats through the world on the outside of social media.
1.A note to my present self that is just a normal human that lives life like every millennial on social media:
Dear Rachel,
You are currently using social media pretty well. You like sharing happy memories that you and your friends can fondly look back on. You like sharing important information that impacts your local community and is relevant to your country as a whole. You like sharing stories, articles, videos, etc. that will make other people happy and other people proud. You like that social media is an accessible platform for knowledge, news, and information.
I know you know this, but this is your social media-less self here to tell you that moving forward, be critical and intentional with social media. Remember that social media has a dark side and if it’s making you sad because you’re having a bad day and it looks like no one else is, turn it off for a second. I cannot emphasize enough how not big of a deal this will be. Your group members can wait an hour. Your snap streaks will survive.
Furthermore, make sure you engage with credible news sources — look at site titles, research authors, use Facebook’s guidelines for avoiding fake news. Perhaps most importantly, make sure you reach outside your filter bubble for more perspectives, more opinions, more ideas, just… more. Remember that there is always more than exactly what you are seeing. Use social media as a tool (because hey, it is a tool) to engage with people you wouldn’t normally engage with, but invite conversation to continue outside of social media. Remember that online communication will never match that which exists face-to-face.
ALSO, hey you! If you don’t like someone on social media REMOVE/DELETE/UNFRIEND THEM! ~ NO ~ ONE ~ CARES ~
LOL (lots of love),
-Rachel
2. A note to my career self that is looking to pursue a happy life in communications and storytelling:
Dear Rachel,
You’ve had some experience in the corporate social media world and you’ve made a good start, but there is always more to learn. Remember to be critical with planned content. In that, remember authenticity, relevance and reliability are some of the most important aspects in content creation. This is so important that sometimes it might be better to act on what you know will work and ask for forgiveness later (if needed).
Use visuals, this is a visual culture. Use tools like Hootsuite, they do make things better and easier. Use research to understand your audience, it means more valuable connections. Utilize the partnership that exists between traditional and social marketing, it means a greater reach. Remember to keep learning about new platforms, new tools, and new methods of communicating, it invites success.
Remember that social media management is harder than it looks and has a lot of steps, but is worth it when you’re sharing important stories, when people are learning or getting excited, and when you are helping people live their best lives.
Most importantly here, make sure you reflect on and understand the balance that you need when working with social media. Turn it off at night and on the weekends. Balance is important and you are not actually needed 24/7 (sorry not sorry, bae).
Be smart. Be creative. You’ve got this, okay?
-Rachel
3. A note to my future self that will exist in a continuous entanglement with social media:
Dear Rachel,
Most important of all of these notes is this: YOU exist outside of social media and what is happening on the internet (evidenced by me, right here). There will always be more to you, and everyone else, than what is on the web.
BE PASSIONATE, HAVE OPINIONS, SHARE KNOWLEDGE, LEARN NEW THINGS!
Social media is a byproduct of you, not the other way around. It is a tool, not a controller, it is entertainment and access, not the beginning (or the end).
I believe that you can happily co-exist, maybe you’ll even become a better person if you can critically and intentionally use social media.
You are a rockstar, Rachel. Don’t ever let social media tell you less.
-Rachel
If you can follow the advice from your social media-less self, you’ll be set. And maybe you can even be as happy as these buddies.
