As a part of this current generation who holds big contribution and influence for a change, I’ve witnessed some of people my age have a great fear of missing out on social media. They couldn’t even leave a phone to wait for an update from their influencers in few seconds. I don’t know how people could do that. Every single day you open the social media, you’ll find a new and trendy thing to watch. Some people can be so addictive and consumptive because of stuffs and contents. I found few could even risk their life for that up to date thing. Day after day, I care very little about whatever is created by young people from slangs, new things to follow, and lifestyle generally. I feel old but I am still young at the same time. I have no idea how to say it in a word but apparently my soul doesn’t fit with some typical of generation and society. My purpose of writing this just to point out of why I shouldn’t be fear of missing out anything on virtual space :
a) I have no role model in fashion and beauty
Although I live in two sides of beauty standards for women in my country, I will always choose to look how I feel comfortable and simple for me. There are countless types of fashion from creative people out there but I am not going to represent myself from what I wear and what I have. I’ve loved myself enough and I only want to look and feel good for myself. It’s gonna be tiring if I should spend much time and energy to change myself to be daily based on something is happening around the world these days. I never put my worth in fashion and beauty as well as I don’t see another woman’s worth is only from their appearance. I have faith in all of us have so much powers and values more than how we look.
b) Social media is kind of virtual diary and gallery
For those who have audio visual hobbies like photography, musics and arts, I would like to vocalize they require a dynamic medium to share their works with the world. Some people make money from social platforms. I personally have same interest with people who works in creative industry. Some of critical words can be so constructive for people who used to hide their masterpieces. To me, people who have fortitude to show off their works have so much strength mentally. I said this because we live in a judgemental society who will judge from things physically in extreme way. I can judge my ideas that I would like to execute before people would do it to me. I’ve seen so many talented writers on social media who verbalize their thoughts that can help speaking for the unspoken thoughts and feelings by the most of silent survivors out there. It really means a lot for them.
c) I only post what I let people see and judge.
I’ve been on social media since 2009, my very first social platform is Facebook and second one is Twitter. I couldn’t mention anything else I had during that period of time but I’ve been inactively using most of them. All I feel now, I do not feel so blithesome of exposing myself on social media. If I do post something wittingly that might because I only want to share things I am intrigued by lately but I won’t expose anyone without their consents. People are freely allowed to make assumptions out of me as they want because I am the only one who know myself very well. All these years, I enjoyed living the life behind the camera and the most times I forget to take a picture of people I’ve spent times with and people I’ve had good talks to. Not all things are supposed to be posted and I keep learning how to be wisely being the internet citizen.
d) Not everything is real
Happiness, achievement, and productivity are the main topics I’ve observed that can win people’s attention the most. As for me, I believe that everything is not as real as it looks. People can post something that they captured in their happiest moment when they were crying out loud and alone in the corner of the room. Some people can show how perfect they are with their partners while battling to go out of physical and mental abusive in a relationship behind the screen. The productivity and achievement in a hustle culture make people think failure is shameful and unattractive. People are good at covering the truth for pleasing the number of people and put aside their true life for the sake of recognition. They might forget to be honest with themselves. Instead of making judgement, I tried to understand that somebody is fighting with their aching soul and another one is grappling for appreciation and affirmation they’ve never heard of all their life.
