Thoughts of a thinker | social media



Sometimes as a writer I have more trouble coming up with a title than I do actually writing - blogger problem101. Anyway if you don't already know social media has been going through a rough period. Mostly influenced by a fellow online presence Essena O'Neil. Summary of the incident is that she believes social media is evil, fake and affects reality. This really affected her life in a really depressing way. Me, being a sucker for anything dramatic my initial reaction was to feel sad for the sadden young lady that she had to go through this experience and was obviously very affected by it. I am the first to start crying and feeling sorry until I've had some time to adjust and then think. 

Essena is wrong with her approach to this, if you feel different comment below, she is not wrong for having an opinion and going through this ordeal online where she felt so miserable. she isn't even presently wrong for feeling how she feels because trust me I have been where she is and back and often delete instagram once a year when I feel like there is no sense of community. The lack of community feeling I get from my instagram is my biggest motivation for truly understanding how she must have felt.
She is wrong for her delivery and using shock factor to get her message across. If you use a hair straightener correctly every time it won't burn you, but one day you leave it on for a second longer or hotter than needed it will burn you or your hair without a shadow of a doubt.  The straightener itself isn't evil its your use of it that is questioned. Essena was portraying a fake life on social media not social media being fake or evil. Did social media get paid when she posted her sponsored post online nope, did social media get a modelling contract and go to her shoots with her or did social media take the pics itself with her camera. 

It is the power, time and welcoming YOU provide to something that allows that thing to dictate how it will manifest itself in your life. What I am trying to say is social media is like a cup it serves a simply purpose to serve you, what you choose to do and see in it is completely your own doing. Bare in mind, everyone has this cup as well so they can do with it what they want, hence why her social media reality was distorted.

Another example using the CUP 
  • Side A - has water juices, chia seeds, smoothie machine fruits etc (meaning -regularly updates, connects, gets involves and knows when to get off)
The cup - social media 
  •  Side B - has alcohol, vodka, cocktail shots (Alcohol - dictated by comparisons and number, barely socialises or network, looks more at building numbers than finding like minded people)   

My diagnosis, have a cocktail once in a while for goodness sake have a bloody cocktail, but seriously coming from a former drunk social media blogger writing this has actually helped me get to the other side and see it shouldn't have that much control or power. F*** numbers, stop blindly following and most importantly create your own balance. It took her having a mental break down and me seeing sense from all this drama, hype and wanting people to understand my state was absolute bullocks, simply because they understood this very well before I did. Social media is not the problem, society is !

  • ** Lets Chat**  Do you think social media is as bad as everyone makes it seem ?

Comments

  1. It's actually quite accurate the way you explained it. Social media isn't the problem. I used to be one of those who believe the media to be the problem. But after reading this, I realize that it truly is a society wahala. We need to get our priorities straightened and of course balanced. A time on social network is all good and fine but what you choose to put out there is your cup of garri.

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    1. lol at the cup of garri and I agree with you as well, seeing people talk about how evil social media was, is what prompted this post. I think balance is important and creating a virtual world that you actually like rather following the crowd. I hope I don't sound like am attacking the poor girl but I believe her way of reasoning should be addressed first and then she can focus on the real issue.

      Thanks for commenting :)

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  2. Hi Ola, how are you? I hope you are well. I think I will join you with that cocktail - make it a martini. xx

    http://www.annanuttall.com/

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