Social Media and Me: What it is and What it Means

I’ve always felt like, given the generation that I’m a part of, that I’m behind in the social media realm. Part of this is because (unlike most my other friends) I waited until the required age to join and didn’t make up a different birth year to be a part sooner. The other reason I was late to joining was because I didn’t really care. I didn’t know what to post nor did I feel “cool” enough to post anything. I downloaded the social media apps like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat because it was the thing to do. All my friends were online, and they kept telling me to join them. So, eventually, I did.

Though most other 19-year-olds flooded to Twitter as soon as it became an option, I (again) was late to join. I downloaded Twitter a year ago after my academic adviser stressed its importance to me as a student and as a future journalist. She encouraged me to use to keep up to date on important events and to get my name out there. Before that moment, I’d never really considered the value that Twitter, and other social media platforms might have to me as professional.

The point is, I never had a true desire to join social media but instead joined due to peer pressure or encouragement. I didn’t know what I was doing or what my place should be on these platforms. I wasn’t a particularly popular person, not was I very secure in myself. I can see how growing up this hurt me. I felt an immense pressure to post pictures that would get attention and likes. If they didn’t, I’d delete them. I compared my own likes to those of my best friend and wondered what I was doing wrong. I wondered why she was so much more liked than me. As an insecure preteen, I valued the numbers on social media too much. I let it define me and it only hurt my self-esteem.

When I matured, I strayed from these ideas. I don’t think of social media as a place to find validation or as medium of seeking attention. Instead, I think its simply a place to share aspects of my life that make me happy or that I’m proud of. It’s a place to share my thoughts, photos, and moments that I choose to. I like social media because I can keep as much to myself as I want to, but I can also let my friends and family into my life. It’s a unique form of communication in which I can connect to people I don’t frequently see. I get input and comments from people I wouldn’t expect, much of which is positive and helpful. It’s an outlet that I use for encouragement and conversation.

Still, that pressure exists on some level. On Twitter, I often feel like every post needs to be clever or funny so it will explode. On Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat, I get to see other peoples’ lives. This is a good thing in general but can also be damaging. When other people posted about their summer vacations and adventures, I felt like the things I was doing were less fun or less important. Social media provides a way for people to directly compare their lives. I’m guilty of this. I look at what I’m doing, where I’m at, and what I’m posting and compare it to that of my peers.

Am I doing better? Am I doing worse?

My biggest concern with social media is that it can make people feel like less than others or like their life isn’t as exciting. I fear that this will prevent people from sharing their true self or cause them to develop a self-hatred or obsession over social media. Even in saying all this, I still think that when used properly and consciously, social media is a valuable tool. It brings people together. It brings strangers together. It’s an outlet for sharing and communicating. Lessons are taught and stories are told, all of which can be shared beyond just close family and friend. It can be shared globally.

To me, this – the connection – is the true appeal of social media.

The connection is more than just personal, though. The connections that social media empowers are useful in the professional realm. As an aspiring journalist, having skills in digital public relations are important to my success. Just as my academic advisor suggested when she recommended Twitter, I need to be able to represent and build a presence for myself that others can easily access. Social media is the modern-day outlet for this. I will use digital PR to promote myself, my work, and my business.

Racking up mentions and shares and increasing SEO are just some ways that digital PR may further my professional career. If I’m able to use digital PR to increase my online presence, my articles and posts are likely to be more popular. This is important not just because it will get my work out to the public and increased awareness, but because it will make me a more trusted source. In having a strong online presence, I will be able to form connections and relationships that show I’m involved and can back my credibility.

All social medias, like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, are valuable sources for digital PR. Consistently posting valuable, related content to these platforms are important in marketing myself and my brand. Digital PR will also help me create website that represent myself and showcase my work so that people can see who I am and what I do. In short, digital PR is the key to succeeding in the business realm as a journalist. It’s an outlet for conversation, publication, and branding. Not to mention, social media allows me to advertise myself as a professional while leaving room for personality. I can be myself and benefit myself by using the PR techniques, especially on social media.