LETTER TO MY YOUNGER SELF
Dear 12 year-old Emily,
As you embark on this journey that is social media, I am writing to help you better understand of the effects that this phenomenon will have you. While you will unravel your career aspirations through the use of Twitter and make countless new friends by simply clicking a button, it will not always be positive and happy experiences while staring into a screen. Listen to mom when she tells you to watch what you post of the internet… because at the end of the day it will be there forever.
I know it seems like you have to have Facebook to be cool right now… but you really don’t. Mom was right when she tried to prevent you from making a Facebook account until you were 13. And yes, she knows about the fake account named “Emmy Cana” you made with a display picture of Kevin Jonas. Try to put off using Facebook as long as possible — it will end up consuming your life and start a lifetime addiction to social media.
Also, be careful what you post on Facebook. The mean status updates and comments may be who you think you are now, but in the future you’ll grow up to regret ever posting that kind of stuff. Right now you have more influence on your friends and those around you than you know, and by commenting hurtful things about people, the impact can be larger than you would have ever imagined. Cyberbullying is NOT cool and you should have never participated in it.
Now Twitter, oh Twitter, where do we even begin. How do I communicate this in a way that you will understand…
HEY ANGEL,
There is ONE THING that I WANT to let you know that I WISH I had known in 2011… Stop tweeting at One Direction. The biggest pop band in the world, yeah THEY DON’T KNOW ABOUT US. It’s not worth staying UP ALL NIGHT trying to get their attention over social media because it will only DRAG ME DOWN into a lifetime of bad sleep habits. YOU & I both know Louis is STILL THE ONE that first STOLE MY HEART, but in the future who you will make MIDNIGHT MEMORIES with other guys who are not in the biggest pop band in the world. I know this may not CHANGE MY MIND, but I mean, C’MON C’MON at the END OF THE DAY, you’re going to look back and wish that you had ACT(ed) MY AGE instead of yours when the NIGHT CHANGES. Stop making the SAME MISTAKES now, because you will still love the band in 8 years. Tweeting is great, but not tweeting at popular boy bands is WHAT MAKES YOU BEAUTIFUL.
LOVE YOU GOODBYE.
And yes, I am just as surprised as you that I just wrote all that using One Direction song titles, but in the future you will do this a lot with your friend Danielle.
Twitter will be just as important of an app in 8 years, as it is now. You will still use it constantly just for different purposes. What once was a borderline One Direction fan account, will transform into your personal account, so don’t post anything too embarrassing. While you still can, delete this account and make a new one before you follow over 400 friends online and become to lazy to start again.
Make sure that what you are tweeting is not to personal and won’t be interpreted the wrong way. While I don’t believe anything you do tweet is too terrible, better safe than sorry. Do this for the sake of the future and for the sake of your older self who will eventually apply for jobs that will look at my personal accounts before hiring.
You know how Winnipeg just got an NHL team back and you probably couldn’t care less about it? Watch out, that’s going to change quickly and soon your Twitter feed will be filled with Jets information and other NHL, NBA and NFL news. By following these sports feeds on Twitter you’ll grow a love for the industry and dream of being in it one day…
Instagram is just starting out now, but it will slowly consume your life. You’ll find that sharing pictures and receiving likes on there will be the most rewarding feeling you’ll get through social media. Your following will slowly grow from 50 to 100 to eventually over 1000. Next stop for both of us? Hopefully 2000!
Mom definitely won’t like that you post pictures of you in a bathing suit, but that’s life. She may be right to think that, but if you’re willing to walk around in a public beach in it, you should be ok with posting it on your private account online. As long as you continue to post pictures that show memories with friends, cool landscapes and other fun stuff, then I say keep doing it as long as the number of likes you get doesn’t impact your feeling of self worth.
Now I know you’re thinking what harm can come from using social media?
It’s such a new concept to the world and you’re in the generation that it will have the largest impact on. Consider yourself a “guinea pig” in how social media influences people. At twenty years old, I’ve recently discovered that social media influences my day to day living to a point that it’s become concerning. It will not only affect your social life but it will have an impact on your mental and physical well being.
While you attempt to finish school work, you’ll have a hard time focusing on the task at hand without wasting countless minutes or hours, checking your phone. Because you have been so invested into continually checking social media you will be unable to finish work without refreshing apps. This will effect how you do in school and the grades you will receive, so try not to start the habit of finishing work with your phone beside you!
We both know you love to sleep… but imagine not being able to sleep without looking through your phone for sometimes an hour while laying in bed. Sounds like it sucks, hey? Well that’s what your future will hold if you keep up your bedtime bad habits. This is have a serious affect on your well being as you’ll lose countless hours of sleep that could be vital to your physical well being.
Social media will have one of the largest impacts on you as you go through your schooling. In high school it will be used in a way to boost your social circle and gain friends by tweeting, posting and commenting on other peoples accounts. When you move 2000km away for university, it will be one of the only ways you communicate with people from back home. It’ll be the way you are able to stay in touch and see what is new with old friends. In regards to your dreams and aspirations, it will lead you to your new goal of working in the sport media industry.
As great as social media is and how important it is in your life, it will lead to bad habits that are easily preventable. Try your hardest not to fall victim to these ways as long as possible, because speaking from experience their not great.
You’re just at the start of your journey now so try to make it a positive one by watching what you post, not spending too much time on it, and use it to it’s full potential! You got this kid.
