Dearest 2007 Jasmine,
Good news! It’s 2017 and you’re currently living in Toronto, studying the program of your dreams. Right now however, you’re probably sitting at home alone, updating your status on MSN Messenger with the song you’re listening to or waiting for a little buddy icon to turn green so you have someone to chat with. Ironically, not too far down the line, this thing called “social media” will become massive and your ability to connect to others will know no boundaries.
You’ve just answered that email from your friend about joining Facebook; welcome to the digital world! This platform is great because as time passes, you’ll be able to keep in touch with your friends and family regardless of where they are. For now, it’s just you and your friends posting on each other’s walls, but soon… the parents will join. This may seem really weird and unusual, but so is the world at this point, and having parents online is the least of your worries.
As social media starts to grow and take over, more platforms will emerge that will track your data and use it for other purposes: marketing mostly, but also to create this thing called a “filter bubble”. Don’t worry, this bubble isn’t malicious! It’s just a way to curate all of the information in your feeds to show you things you actually care about. The only bad thing about this is that you’ll either not hear about certain news (because it is external to that bubble) or you will be severely misinformed. This becomes a huge issue in politics, but that’s all I can really say… My advice: try to actively reduce the effects of your filter bubble by engaging with all perspectives.
No word of a lie, memes will be the greatest thing to happen. They are witty socially and culturally relevant jokes blended with visuals and shared online. The way you share things on your friends’ walls right now is the same way you will partake in the meme phenomenon. Basically, you will tag and be tagged in so many memes that this becomes a common ground for bonding with friends and gaining new ones. The power of them will be so extreme, you’ll study them in an academic setting and it will blow your mind.
Many jobs will come from social media as well, which is good because you are/will be interested in it! You can work in creating content, becoming an influencer, studying analytics for marketing, and more. Businesses will rely so heavily on good use of these platforms that they will actually pay agencies to analyze data, strategize to be on top, and post according to what will best market them. Social media will also be critical to getting a job as many employers will look at all of your profiles, so do as you are right now and always keep it clean!
As you grow older, the impact of social media on the world will be astounding. The good comes with the bad, but you must always work to mirror your values in a digital space. This means that as cyber-bullying or online hate become major issues, you will never partake in any of it and will actively avoid/fight it. Similarly, taking care of yours and others’ mental health is crucial, and you need to always remember that no one’s life is as perfect as they depict online. Just continue being the good-hearted person I know you are, and this will come easy — current me is living proof of that.
The future is in your hands! Don’t be afraid of social media; embrace it! It will lead to a ton of incredible things like people collectively working to take on social issues (and win), constant learning through quick access to information and sharing of knowledge, or simply sharing stories of remarkable people from around the world. As amazing as this is, always remember to take time to disconnect and live your life. I promise you, you’re much more powerful than you think, both online and offline.
Sincerely,
2017 Jasmine
