Breaking: Social Media Plays Massive Role in Millenial’s Life
After making an effort to actively monitor my personal consumption of social media over the past week, I can’t really say that I’m surprised by the results; I was already aware that I’m on social media much more than I’d like to be (or would like to admit). But this did give me an opportunity to take a closer look at the exact breakdown of my social media usage, as well as how much of it involves the gathering of news or information.
In general, I most frequently use my phone for social media activity; though I’ll go on Facebook using my laptop from time to time, my Macbook is more for homework and Netflix-ing. The apps that I use most frequently include Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest; I do have a Twitter account as well, but I only re-downloaded it for this class and have used it rarely. Each of the media outlets I do use serve unique purposes for me; for example, Snapchat enables me to immediately share moments of my life with my closest friends through pictures and videos, creating a sense of shared experiences, even with people who are geographically far away.
In contrast, Facebook and Instagram feel less personal to me, and are more about sharing photos or updates with a larger group of people, in order to create a profile or image for myself. (Having said that, I do use the commenting and private messaging features on both Facebook and Instagram to stay in touch with certain friends.) Although I am also a frequent user of the “like” button, that is another not-so-personal aspect of social media, as it makes it easy to acknowledge a post without really putting too much thought into it or forming a very strong opinion. Pinterest, meanwhile, is probably the least social of the apps for me, as I really only use it for myself and ignore other users for the most part.
The exact times that I use social media are a little harder to pin down; I think my habits are predicted more by my mood or circumstances, rather than specific times of the day. For example, I find that I am most likely to go on social media if I’m bored, waiting for something or am taking a quick mental break from homework (read: procrastinating). I also tend to feel the urge to check my apps if I receive a notification, if it’s been a hot second since the last time I checked or if I’ve recently posted something and need to make sure I’m getting the recognition I deserve. (This “experiment” really helped point out how much I use likes and comments on social media for personal validation- I’m not proud of it, but it’s the unfortunate reality.) Something else that stood out to me about my habits and their timing is how automatic they often are; the amount of mindless clicking around from app to app that I do is a little concerning!
Particularly before I started this class, I really tried to avoid searching for news on social media, because the volume of information can be so completely overwhelming, and I never knew whether or not to trust it. As a result, I’ve been much more likely to actively watch local news programs (particularly WGN morning news), and I’ve also been a fan of “The Skimm,” a site that summarizes the most significant news of the day in a comprehensive manner. (Unfortunately, I’ve also been guilty of avoiding the news, as it can get particularly stressful and depressing in the current political climate. Of course, this is not a healthy or productive way to deal with the world around me, but I think it’s not an uncommon approach for many people my age.)
Now, since starting this class, I’m definitely making more of a concerted effort to seek out news on social media, but I’m being mindful of the sources. I’ve now started following WGN 9 and The Atlantic on Facebook, and am following CNN and the BBC via Instagram. (I actually tried to download The Atlantic app to receive news that way, but was unwilling to pay for the subscription.) I’ve also started checking Twitter more frequently, and have begun following a few accredited news organizations. Recently I’ve become much more aware of just how much news I’ve absorbed over the years via social media without meaning to; it’s pretty much inevitable. This is particularly true of Facebook, where it’s nearly impossible to scroll through one’s newsfeed without coming across some kind of political commentary or statement about a newsworthy incident. Even if I don’t stop and read whatever has been posted in its entirety, just reading the title makes some kind of impact on me. (While this might be a good way to pick up news on the fly, it’s really dangerous where “fake news” or misleading headlines are concerned.)
Of course, I’m more likely to take a post seriously if it’s coming from an individual that I trust on a personal level and know in real-life; I know a lot of people follow certain celebrities, and though I really do like the posts and viewpoints of some, it’s hard for me to have a lot of faith in someone I’ve never actually met or interacted with. (I also struggle with relating to celebrities, and often feel like their interests and values might not be totally aligned with mine.)
Ultimately, what I’ve learned from this assignment is that I waste way too much time on social media, and often on insignificant things- I often use it as a means to compare myself with others and to search for meaningless validation. In other words, I’ve been pretty susceptible to the unhealthy aspects of the social media world. Yet, that does not mean that it’s all bad; private messaging enables me to maintain friendships near and far, and social media can be a great news source, as long as one pays close attention to sources of information. Either way, social media is undoubtedly here to stay, so perhaps my overall takeaway should be to focus on the ways that social media can improve my quality of life, instead of diminishing it. In other words, less comparison and fake news, and more meaningful connection and staying in touch with what’s really happening in the world around me.
