Social media has been on the spotlight for some time now, especially after this. I first read the piece of news on a newsletter I get daily and was intrigued by this person I’ve never heard of, so I watched a bit of the short movie to enlighten and satisfy my curiosity. I have mixed feelings about this subject, that rapidly went to the top of the most debated subjects, especially because I’m an avid user and abuser of social media platforms (i.e. Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Pinterest, and so on).
The main concern is about the effects that social media has on people and whether or not they are portraying real life. When it comes to sharing content, in the form of text, images or video, we are all guilty of embellishing and perfecting our lives to take the perfect snap or look our best. Normally, people look for things that make them escape the reality and, maybe even, dream or wish for a bit. The problem does not rely on those portraits we see or do, it relies on whether we believe them or not!
The same way we know a movie has advisory claims, so does social media supposedly. A lot of the content we see is perfectly curated but we know that, don’t we? It’s important to remember that there’s an effort put into a post, a tweet, a gram, a snap and things aren’t necessarily true. I believe it’s a medium created to help us narrate the story of regular, day-to-day lives with a touch of glam. The dangers come when a certain limit of exposure and believability are surpassed and people become obsessed with comparison, consumed with jealousy and unsatisfied because they’re not like the person they see portrayed, or don’t have the same things.
We have to focus on the realm of things and not lose track of our own life, putting our best judgment to the test and know that that, is pure entertainment. Set some boundaries when it comes to it, don’t let yourself be constantly showing everything you do, turn off after or before certain hours and don’t fall victim of the infinite-scroll. Like anything else out there, it’s a matter of balance, knowing to discern and to not get tangled up!