Social Media; Why Do We Love It, Why Do I Do It, And The Hesitations That Follow Starting A Blog.
- Kirst
- Jul 8, 2018
- 7 min read
Short of marketing, lawyer-ing, and/or freelance photography- everyone these days is trying to get a foot in the door of social media. And to be honest- with good mind to too. Social media is where the world is going, and at such a speed that even platforms such as Facebook, at a young and fragile fourteen years of age, are slowly (but also very rapidly) becoming forgotten sources of entertainment and contact. New apps are created almost every day and at such a pace that others are being rapidly knocked off the shelf and replaced. It's wonderful, besides the obvious cons that we've all heard and read about a million times. Yes, we all spend far too much time on our phones. Yes, we are far too invested in the lives of the people through the screens. And yes, a culture of #doitforthegram has developed through which so many people neglect their adventures for the experience itself and rather weight them based on the likes they accumulate.
There are so many pros to social media though, and that contribute so much to why I am so invested in making a me shaped dent in some little corner of it.
Firstly; it's free. Most of it anyways (here's looking at you Youtube Red). But it's amazing because of that free-ness. I've always been a kid that's been glued to the screen- I used to come home from school and watch the line up of cartoons that, by the age of ten, I had memorised the order of. But through social media, I don't think I could even tell you what shows are on at 8pm on Mnet anymore. The television has become such an obsolete piece of furniture in my life- serving only the purpose of occasionally screening my movie on a slightly larger platform when I'm feeling up to connecting the HDMI cable. And yes, I am aware that the free quality of the content also sometimes means that one is exposed to content that is inappropriate or harmful. But when before have we been one click away from someones "Top 10 Tips" for x, y and z? When before have we been so close to so much information, most often tailored almost exactly to our own tastes and likes.
Another wonderful thing about seeing a lot of your world through a screen is just that, you get to see so much more of the world. For example, I had never heard of Bali before, let alone thought to travel there on holiday. If not for social media and the travel youtubers and instagrammers that I follow, I would never have gone in January, fallen in love with the island, and be returning this month. You find places and things you would never have found before; be it destinations on a map, a coffee shop around the corner from your work, or even a new exercise class being held in a studio in your city. It's like having an encyclopaedia, phonebook, travel magazine, recipe book, newspaper, photography coffee-table-book, fashion editorial, all rolled into a few tiny apps downloaded onto your hand-sized cellphone. The information is so literally right there for us to consume.
Yes, with this ease of access and production of content and information, we come across the demons. Such as fake news. Something that has been very subtly going on for years (need I remind you of all the celebrity death hoaxes of the early 2010's?), but that more recently has begun to riddle our news apps and Facebook or Instagram pages, and created a mess of "did Zambia really bomb Madagascar because the presidents dog bit the prime ministers niece?". Wikipedia has been slaying us with false facts for years but now with so many news platforms moving to a website based means of sharing informations, the troublesome rumours and fake news articles sneak in everywhere.
So all of this aside, I really didn't mean for this to turn into some article about social media and its pros and cons. But rather I thought I would share my hesitations in joining the ocean of bloggers and instagrammers that have flooded the apps we know and love.
First things first; why do I even have a blog and a second Instagram? What am I even doing?
It just suited me and what, and how, I wanted to build my collection of pictures, adventures, thoughts etc etc. I've been interested in journalism for years, and it was something that I very seriously wanted to study in university. I job-shadowed at two different magazines at school, and I just knew- a few things in fact. Yes; journalism, writing, content creation- all exactly what I wanted to do. But magazines? I don't even buy them anymore and haven't since junior school. Slowly but surely, they are becoming redundant. Okay- then surely I can work for an online platform? Exactly. Except, with what to back me up against the next person that wants to write the quirky articles about how to rock a dirty hair day? So I made this website, this blog, and it's accompanying instagram page. I don't want to work in print journalism. I also really do not like the direction that a lot of print journalism is going in; the tabloids attacks on the female body, newspapers scandalising articles on politics that just drive and fuel over-masculinised political opinions to be shared over the braai with a cold one in hand, and the in between magazines that really aren't going anywhere and truly just sit in hairdressers collecting dust and doggy-ears.
So why not make my own space on the huge platform of the internet? There's definitely room.
Frankly, I must share, it's scary. Initially it was scary to me because "what if someone I know finds it?" (hence me taking a good minute to share the GingerDoes Instagram and blog on my main social media accounts)- because God forbid someone actually reads my opinion on something. Truthfully, we live in a very judgemental world, and it's a little nerve-wracking to start out posting the pictures and the blog posts during the week, and heading to La Parada on a Sunday in fear of someone saying "I read your blogpost the other day!". I'm still not sure why it's so scary to me, I really wish I could explain, but even as a drama student, I've never liked putting myself on show and this is essentially exactly that. Writing for me has always been a way to put down what I don't quite know how to say- so right now you're basically reading my thoughts.
Another reason why it is so scary starting a social media platform is that everyone is doing it, and you're going to have that little demon on your shoulder asking you what you're really bringing to the table. What is really different about what you're saying is a great movie and someone else saying it too? Originality doesn't entirely exist anymore, everything has been done within the realm of possibility, so with that creativity crushing thought I sit here and wonder, every single time I write a blog post, why am I doing this and what am I really offering? Am I really so conceited that I think I know more about budgeting as a student than the girl living in the flat next to me? Do I really claim to know the best tips for saving the planet?
No I don't. But I do this because (besides literally doing it for my own cathartic enjoyment of just typing a few thousand words, and have it not be on the reign of King Louis XIV or the metaphor behind the way Daisy looked at Gatsby on page 73) I really really love writing. And I like to think in some way that, although the originality of starting a blog is highly lacking, be it fashion, food, lifestyle, travel or whatever, I bring my unending sarcasm and air of dry cynicism to every post as best I can. I also really like movies and books, so maybe have a few things to say about those.
Then there's the judgemental question of why I'm doing this. Not because it's lame, not because I have nothing original to say, but am I doing it because every other social media presence has been given free shit and I'd like in on it. To that, I laugh. If you really think I'm doing it for that, do you not think I would try a little harder to have more than 130-something followers, posting more regularly, generally spamming the population of Instagram to get my name up in lights? Yes, there is always more to the story than it seems and do I want to do this for free forever? Obviously not- I need to afford those R80 Pep converse somehow people!? But as my best friend once said; "If you're good at something- never do it for free." which yes, I agree with, but a girls gotta start somewhere.
Where am I really going with this you ask? (Don't worry, I'm a little lost of the point of it by now too.)
Essentially; it feels like there's no room left on the internet, but remember it is a infinite virtual space with room for everyone and their respective tastes, talents, and interests. If you want to start an insta dedicated to slime- go for it. If you really like shoes and want to post all about them on Youtube- have at it. There is room for everyone, and all those observing and consuming the content produced by others should always remember that it takes a lot to put yourself out there. Whether it be selfie, a poem, a blog post, a video of you singing, or even just a story where you haven't muted out your voice (still do it every time)- it's a gutsy move in a world so filled with judgement as the one we occupy now. With so much to consume, at every standard, and with standards often set rather high- I think we all need to give each other a break for trying to make room for ourselves out here.
So like that persons Instagram page. Comment on the Youtube video. Even vote on the poll on their story! Creating content and putting it out into a silent audience is scary- every nudge is helpful. Just bear in mind that content is created towards ones own taste; if you don't like it, you don't have to follow it.
Well that was a mouthful and quite frankly it ran away with me so I am sorry for any and all the tangents it went on. (I'd like to blame my half-hangover this morning, but truthfully I just typed and kept typing until I wasn't really sure where it was going- hope you don't mind these rambling posts too much because they're quite a regular one with me.)
I hope you've had a beautiful Sunday.
Have a lovely day xx
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