Today, I made an Instagram account.
To most, that statement is far from ground-breaking, considering the status of the site as the most popular social media forum in the world. For me though, creating an Instagram was the culmination of at least three years of on and off debate inside my head.
You see, I am afraid of the influence of social media, and its affect on our psychology. I've seen the mindset of a generation drastically altered in order to achieve the most followers or likes on a picture. I've been at gatherings where staring at a screen and aimlessly scrolling somehow fills the void of meaningful conversation. I resented the social manipulation of Facebook and Snapchat, and resisted it by avoiding the outlets altogether. It felt like everyone was really two different people: their human self and their online image. For me, I had completely neglected the latter.
Recently though I've witnessed some events that have shifted my mindset. For one, I've graduated college. In a few weeks I will be moving to Utah, a place that holds promise of incredible adventures and experiences, but also a place where I will not be previously acquainted with anyone. Unlike my college and high school arrangements, I will not live in a mile radius of most of my close friends. I want to be able to passively stay connected with those I care about. While I don't feel the pressure to check in all the time, I know what they've been up to. This will never replace a genuine phone call or in-person meetup, but it could help lead to those things, and remind me who is around when I inevitably feel isolated.
Besides that, I cannot deny the incredible opportunity to build a connected network that social media presents. In yoga teacher training, we learned that the energy you emit as a teacher is the energy that will attract certain types of students. If the same principle applies here, I am eager to figure out the best way to use my account as a beacon of my inner light, and see who I encounter as a result along the way.
Similar to my life approach, I am knowingly engaging with a world that has inherent flaws, but with intentionality, I hope to make the best. Here it goes!