If I hear one more millennial joke about our phone addiction, over abundant use of Facebook and twitter, and how much the internet sucks, I'm going to SCREAM!
Yes, alike everything else there is a downside. You tell me one thing in the whole world that doesn't have any negatives and I'll throw out my phone, makeup, cat.. and every materialistic item I possess, because there is nothing that SOMEONE can't complain about.
Why do I love social media? I could probably go on for miles about the positives I can see with it, but let me share my top 5..
1. Friends.
-We are all very well aware of how much your life changes at various stages. School, moving, marriage, kids, new home, new job, the list is ever lasting! If I didn't have the opportunity to reach out to my friends in ways other than face to face I would never know what's going on with them! Do I wish I was able to see every one of them in person and talk their ears off?! You betcha! But I can't, and it doesn't always workout that way. I am so grateful we can share our thoughts, memories, trips, and plan get togethers all from the touch of a finger.
2. Family.
-I have 2 brothers, a half sister, 2 half brothers, a step sister and step brother (holy blended!) and not one of us live in the same city. We are spread across multiple cities in multiple states. My one brother even is overseas right now. Talk about hard to sit down with. If we didn't have the capability to stay in touch online the way we do, I'm not sure we would be nearly as close as some of us are today. Let alone, my worry some heart would never be updated on my solider. Until I really started engaging in social media, I didn't even know a large majority of my family. Crazy! It makes you feel connected without being completely left out.
3. Work/advertisement/branding.
-Sure, we all have the one "Facebook friend" that blows up our inbox with a pitch to sell you a product they have teamed up with. Don't let that one person stop you from seeing the positive side to those industries that are BOOMING! I have seen people completely transform their life almost exclusively through social media and have the luxury of doing that from anywhere they can access it! HOW COOL IS THAT?! Product branding and advertisement has such a huge audience on social media platforms, if you're not already out there branding yourself you're behind.
4. Relationships.
-What? You mean social media doesn't only RUIN relationships, but can help?! You're kidding...
No! I promise, and I know I'm not the only person who can relate. My boyfriend and I have been together for a little over a year now and I think if we didn't have the platforms that are out there today, we wouldn't have made it this far. He is in such a demanding industry that our personal time takes a huge hit. Over a years time, we've probably spent a total of 5 months physically together and of that 60% is just enough time to be home to crawl into bed before the alarm pulls me out in the morning. It's crazy when you really analyze it that way. If it wasn't for Snapchat, Facebook, FaceTime, and Instagram or even the messaging apps we have to use when hes out of the county, I wouldn't even know this man! I love being able to share those photos and moments while he's away, it makes the time pass far more quickly than if I didn't have the ability to hear from him. Social media has really helped us be able to stay connected and really commit time and the things we love to our relationship.
Last but certainly not least..
5. Confidence.
-This may be my most controversial point but before you role your eyes, hear me out. Social media takes a HUGE hit for ruining self confidence. People assume that the way things are advertised are they way you have to look and be. The way these are perceived has been a consistent topic when it comes to the everyday effects of self confidence.
But like throwing a stone in pond, there's a ripple effect..
Especially over the course of the last year, people have really been standing up to this form of social media hate and using it to promote positivity. We went from body shaming anybody who wasn't a size 2 in the media, to loving and promoting a healthy, curvy girl. We had a plus size model on the cover of sports illustrated for the first time ever and she is was praised for that!
How does this help my confidence? Easy! I'm not ugly because I'm not size nothing. You're not ugly for being size nothing. Women have really stepped up and started promoting how we need to love ourselves for who we are. You don't have to look like the girl next to you because you're not her. Thanks to social media, messages similar to these are being spread all over the world!
Some call it being lazy and imprersonal, I call it innovative and convenient. We have the opportunity to share our stories and ideas far outside of the norm and I am blown away at the amount of opportunities that has created for not only my generation, but anybody who applies themselves to this culture. The constant negativity has to stop. We have the power to change the world at the touch of our finger tips. Be connected.
Some call it being lazy and imprersonal, I call it innovative and convenient. We have the opportunity to share our stories and ideas far outside of the norm and I am blown away at the amount of opportunities that has created for not only my generation, but anybody who applies themselves to this culture. The constant negativity has to stop. We have the power to change the world at the touch of our finger tips. Be connected.
Until next time
Xo.
