Why are we so engulfed with social media? Do we log on for fun? For business? To make money? Whatever the case may be, we use social media now more than ever, and it is growing rapidly. How do we know when enough is enough? How do we know when to silence our cell phones, and live our lives outside of the internet? We tend to put a lot of pressure on ourselves when it comes to being a social media influencer/blogger/content creator. I mean, we practically created that job title over the past couple years, and we are our own bosses. How cool, right? We network with brands, we collaborate with businesses, and some of us are even lucky enough to make a living out of it. Why wouldn't everyone want to do the same?
Well, they probably are.
Everyone is trying to be the next one, but it is important to remember to not be so hard on yourself if the technique that others are doing is not working for you. There is no right or wrong way to create content for your audience, it all comes from what sparks your interest, what makes you happy, and what you want to share. You also don't need to capture every single moment of your life on Instagram. Not every photo you take has to be perfect. You don’t need a million followers to be a positive influence. Don't compare yourself to what others are doing vs what you aren't. Always remember, the person you are if all of this social media disappeared means so much more. Let's start with that.
[Social Media Does Not Define You]
The clothes you wear. The car you drive. How many followers you have. How many trips you’ve been on.
None of it.
Let's take away social media for a moment. Let's get rid of Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc. Let's say there is no "upload" button, there is no "view more" button, there is no social media at all. Would you still buy expensive clothes if you had no one to show it off to? Would you still record tutorials if no one could watch? Would you still take unique photos and do absurd things if you wouldn't get Instagram "likes"? Would you do just half of what you already do now for social media if it no longer existed? Answer is obvious, no, probably not.. besides maybe the clothes, because clearly we need that shit.
I know technology has evolved, I know social media has risen, and all of that is great, but who are you in real life? Who are you behind the screen? Behind the scenes? Are you still that same sweet person you portray to be on the internet if someone were to meet you in real life? Social media seems as a necessity nowadays, but what if it slightly changed or scaled back, how would you react?
I know you want to ask me, a "blogger" or "influencer" or "another person with a voice" if I would still write if social media did not exist. Got me there, I would not write in the sense of posting on the internet, but I would still write in journals or communicate these words, and talk to the people around me just as I did when social media was not booming as it is now.
But its 2019, and as far as I know social media and technology is not going anywhere, at least not any time soon. If it did, can I ask you again, who are you without it?
Who you are when no one is around, that’s what defines you. Who you are when people are around, that also defines you. Stop comparing yourself to what others have, and start competing with your own happiness and your own life. What works for others may not necessarily work for you.. and that's more than okay.
How can we be better? How can we do better for others? Ourselves? The world? How can we make a positive impact? How can we relate in a genuine and authentic way?
Think about it.
I log on Instagram, I scroll through, look at photos, like some, and plan my next post. Okay, just as most would, but I see duplicates, photocopies, people all doing and saying the same exact thing as the other. Is that what we are trying to accomplish? To all be Instagram famous? Come on, y'all. You're better than this. Posting a really cool photo, with a clever caption definitely works for some, but is that you? Do you have to follow the crowd and do what others are doing or can you dig deeper into who you are and show others something more?
I never signed up thinking that my end goal would reach me to a million followers, but hey, if that happened, how cool. I feel more proud of myself knowing I made a positive impact in someone's life when they tell me things like..
"Thank you for sharing, I needed to hear this."
"You enlightened me to step outside my comfort zone."
"You are a positive role model, and I feel I am talking to a friend rather than blogger."
Stay true to who you are. Be honest with yourself. Do things that feel morally correct. Don't do things to just fit in. Focus on being the best version of yourself, and learn to compete with only yourself.
You are an influencer. We all are influencers. Be a positive one.