| Chirp! Buzz! Look at me! Look at me!
In our internet-frenzied world, the notifications just keep coming. A tweet, a status, a comment, a "like" popping up on your computer, your phone or your tablet . . . It's fun, isn't it?
You can follow your friends, stay informed on upcoming events, and share your life with the world. So what's the downside?
A Pew report out just this year found that, among teens, Facebook is the most used and most despised social media network. American teens are constantly logging in and scrolling through, but they're hating every other minute of it.
The key is to find a balance between the love and the hate. Social media can be a fun outlet and even a powerful tool—if you use it wisely. Don't let social media get you down One of the biggest reasons teens struggle to enjoy Facebook is because of all the competition. It feels like you have to have the best-looking profile picture, the funniest status updates and the most jealousy-inducing check-ins. That's a ton of pressure! Worse, it encourages exaggeration over honesty.
The thing is, your friends' lives aren't half as cool as they look online. You're seeing their best times—and only their best times. Meanwhile, you're stuck at the kitchen table doing homework or out watching your little sister's piano recital.
Go ahead and embrace the facts. When you scroll past a picture that makes you cringe with jealousy, decide to see it for what it really is: a picture of one moment in a person's entire, possibly boring, day. If that doesn't help, take more drastic measures. Limit your social media exposure. Go for a walk, meet a friend for coffee, or check something off your to-do list. You'll instantly feel more productive and more connected to the world around you—which is way better than waiting around for some notification. Watch what you post and what you do Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr and Snapchat all have privacy settings allowing you to choose who sees what. This is a great option, and one you should totally take advantage of. Unfortunately, these settings give many users a false sense of security—that your information is unable to be found through online searches.
The truth is that what you put up online can—and probably will—follow you forever. Posting just one controversial picture or sentence could potentially block a job or internship down the road. More frightening are the pictures your friends might put up of you—you have very little control over what other people put online. So be careful about what you post . . . and be even more careful about what you do. In our culture of online sharing, the evidence of decisions you make will stick around much longer than they used to. Use social media for good Online interaction isn't all bad. In fact, it can be an awesome way to stay connected with friends. Use the events feature to gather your friends together or organize an outreach opportunity. Follow people who challenge you to live a better life. Keep your conversations positive and honest, and you can help build an uplifting online community. And always remember, if you wouldn't say it to someone's face, don't say it online.
If you make the time you spend online more about growth than gossip—more about encouragement than entertainment—you'll reap the rewards for years to come. Looking for online inspiration? Check out my new Facebook page and video blog! |
No comments:
Post a Comment