Friday, March 11, 2016

Social, Media

I hate being social and I hate the media, not for any political or intellectual reasons, there's just some residual resentment from my childhood that the news is not broadcast in cartoon form (in the past, the news began when Sesame Street stopped). So you'd think I wouldn't be the largest fan of social media (and you'd be correct). But since I've put Eating Natty on Instagram and Snapchat, I've learned a few things about this unique, online community.

As stated above, I'm not very social. But beyond a sense of shyness and preferring time to myself, I also carry some habits that are also, shall we say, unpleasant. Nothing severe, just noticeable. So, at the end of the day, I keep my circle small and I believe, the invisible hand that guides social interaction likely does the same (without my intervention). But it's one thing to think this the case and another to see it made fact in the realm of social media. 

I don't share a lot of personal posts on Facebook. Like my mother, I relish a sense of privacy and don't think it relevant to mention "traffic sucks" on the beltway. So (I think) I share little rants which I believe are hilarious but the online community seems to think otherwise. The same is (semi) true of the blog. While Martin Luther King wished for individuals to be judged, "by the content of their character," I sometimes wish (my blog) to be judged by the content of its posts. But as I may not be "up to character" all the time I feel it limits access to the content of my posts. Enter, Instagram.

When people don't know the content of your character, they only see the content of your posts. To some extent, I was curious to see new followers pop-up once I began my account (something that doesn't often happen in the realm of Facebook- where, "everyone knows your name"). But this gives me a sense of confidence regarding what I write: that it can be relevant and followed. So, while Facebook can bring me down (seeing the village idiot get more likes for a post drives me up the wall) it's ironic that its stepchild (Instagram) known for its filters and sense of unreality has boosted my sense of confidence. But perhaps, I'm buying into the fantasy 😉.

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