Entry No. 36: I’m Totes In My #SocialMediaEra
“Social media is both a dark and brilliant thing for mental health.” Fearne Cotton
I have been thinking about what I wanted to write for this blog post for a while. Since the creation of The Modest Journal over a year ago this has been a topic on my very organized idea list.
But this is such a daunting topic as it is not a black or white topic, there is a metric f*ck ton of grey area.
Our topic today is:
Social Media.
Ironically as mentioned in the past previous posts, I found an old email that contained some of my old writing. When I went through the emails, I found the 2014 version of me writing about, you guessed it, social media.
It's so funny to see how things have changed, for example, Tumblr was one of the most used forms of social media at the time. Social media is constantly changing as new apps, methods of communication, and uses for the platforms evolve at a rate of what feels like milliseconds.
Although the platforms and the key players in the industry have shifted and changed, for the most part, my beliefs on the use of Social Media have stayed pretty true.
I will be incorporating some of my previous writings in this post, as I have in the past, and signifying those pieces in a blue font.
I think it is a cool way for me and for you to see into the mind of a 16-year-old Morgan.
It's mind-blowing to me to think that the generations growing up now do not know a world without the internet, social media, smartphones, and hashtags.
We are for the first time seeing the effects of a generation growing up with computers in their back pocket.
The boom of social media and the internet spread like wildfire. Social networking began in its infancy back in 1971 when the very first email message was sent. Twenty years later the world wide web became part of our language. It would be basically impossible to find someone who is not utilizing some form of social media/internet or has not at least heard of it.
I see social media as a hub for so much good. Since social media has such a large audience with immediate access it can be a tool to help us all to make the world a better place if we choose to utilize it in that way.
I believe social media to be a tool, and like any tool, it's all in how you use it.
Social media allows friends and families to stay connected with real-time sharing of information, photos, and important life events that otherwise may be overlooked or unknown. Individuals can share both personal and professional information enabling people to connect with others and providing an avenue to new career opportunities that traditional job searches can’t compete with in terms of both local and long-distance exposure. Social media cultivates the idea of a more global society as people create connections that may not have been possible otherwise.
We connect in ways that we have never connected before. Peers who graduated high school years prior can schedule reunions. Families who have been separated can reconnect and establish relationships. Friends can keep in touch with their friends who could have moved out of state or maybe to a new country. You can share your opinions on the local restaurants and help a small business succeed.
All of this communication allows people to not feel so alone, to make friends with those who have similar interests, to learn a new skill, and to see cute animals being adorable.
Has everyone seen the “Ninja Chinchilla?” I mean COME ON!
There are also little corners of the internet devoted to wholesome acts of kindness, joy, heartwarming stories, and specific interests like books (Shout out to #BookTok), children, and animals.
Places to go when the world seems very overwhelming to focus on all of the good around us.
I mean this blog was created as a way to share my thoughts and feelings in the hopes to connect with and inspire others. It has brought a lot of good to my life and hopefully to its readers. But that doesn't mean that I still haven't received negative comments or hate comments on my content. I will try to delete those and not respond as I want my little slice of the world wide web to be a positive place. However, it just goes to show even someone with the best intentions can still attract someone with the worst.
Social media when used for good as a quick pick me up or to connect with others causes ZERO problems, but when utilized as an escape to “doom scroll” for hours can be very bad for one's mental health.
Social media can provide a distortion of the truth allowing users to create an online façade of the “perfect life.” It is a way to compartmentalize a person almost to the point of leading a double or even multiple lives. This is problematic since users may be exposed to a distorted reality by information or images which are strategically posted to enhance a virtual identity.
Not only can this lead to dissociation but it can lead to comparison as well. Growing up as a little girl it was hard enough not to feed into insecurities and judging yourself against others. I can not imagine how hard it must be as a child now with access to appearance-altering filters and perfectly edited images of others on the internet to fuel the feelings of “Why don’t I look like them.”
Self-esteem has always been an issue for teens I suppose, but in this day and age it is hard to tell if we have too little or too much self-esteem.
In this era of “selfies” and YouTube it appears as if this generation is rather self-absorbed posting pictures and videos throughout the day most every day. Once posted, the focus then becomes constant surveillance to see how many likes, comments, and retweets the post receives to boost the self-esteem even more. Conversely, if something is posted that others don’t like or if something is unknowingly posted by another without prior consent the effects can be quite damaging.
The fact is that everyone I know has a camera and video camera available at the press of a button during the entire day to capture anything they choose to post for the world to see.
Also, I don't know if you know this or not, but for every ten facts on the internet four of them are incorrect and have no source. ← Just like that one.
Not everything you read on the internet is true.
Just because someone tells you Abe Lincoln said something doesn’t mean he did.
With access to social media, information travels at a rapid pace to unprecedented numbers of people. What once may have taken days or even weeks to spread now happens instantaneously.
We are living in a society where people are increasingly uninhibited from sharing information.
This doesn't just apply to incorrect facts but personal information as well. Posting when you’re on vacation allows people with bad intentions to know when your house is vacant. Posting your children can allow people access to all kinds of information like their name, birthday, schools, friends, sports, and interests, and generally gives some really messed up people a lot of information they can manipulate to hurt your child and your family. Posting your relationship status, religious or political views, and blatantly oversharing allows everyone and anyone to have an opinion on you and your thoughts.
Social media has also lead to generational differences.
Misunderstandings about technology have led to phrases like "their a MiLlEnNiAl" and "Ok BoOmEr."
This generation growing up is going to have it rough.
This certainly does not imply previous generations have not endured hard times. After all, my grandmother is one of ten children who grew up during the depression era where food and clothing were luxuries. What I believe to be the root cause of my generation’s difficulties is the advanced technology which results in decreased communication skills, self-esteem issues, and incessant accessibility.
The fact is that most people either have their phone in their hand on in their pocket the entire day with the exception of nighttime. However, the phone still remains close by charging throughout the night. Not only does this give them access to everything on social media, but everything in social media access to them.
Experts argue that attention spans are shorter, writing skills are diminished, family interaction has decreased, and privacy is an issue as a result of social media use.
I am not quite sure what the obsession is of having the phone in hand all hours of the day, but it is what we have come to know. Texting happens continually throughout, group texts keep the phone buzzing all hours of the day and night, and social media lets everyone know where we are, who we are with, and what we are doing at all times
This is a topic that I can go into the weeds in as there are so many layers to it. If that is something you all are interested in, let me know. I am always looking to hear suggestions about what kind of content you need to see from me.
Social media, like humans, I believe to be inherently good.
I think it is a tool that has changed lives and history for the better. We are seeing a new wave of cleansing, calling out liars, bullies, and cheaters, making it so people can't hide behind masks, and bringing genuine issues to light on a global scale.
I have said it a million times before and I will continue to say it most likely indefinitely
A few pounds of dirt in the ocean doesn't make it dirty, humanity is the same way. There is good in the world, lots of good. Our water just gets a little muddy sometimes, but it always clears up. Although it couldn't hurt if we stopped throwing trash into it.
Love you more,
Morgan
Check this out Corner:
Tank’s Good News: Exactly what it sounds like good news from around the world.
Hopefully this can remind you of the wise words of the best headmaster Hogwarts has ever seen: "Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light"
Morgan Conner
is the passionate creator and driving force behind The Modest Journal. At 28 years old, she wears many hats as the owner, founder, CEO, and self-described "resident words girl."
For Morgan, words are more than just communication—they are her love language, her means of storytelling, and a source of inspiration for others. Her blog is a testament to her desire to merge her passions into a single creative outlet, aiming to bring joy and provoke thought through her words.
Whether she's impacting, inspiring, or offering a fresh perspective, Morgan hopes her writing resonates deeply with her audience.
