Releasing Social Media

 Staying off social media surprisingly hasn’t been as challenging as I thought it would be. I think fully realizing how much it negatively affects me has made me start to gradually pull back from it which is something I didn’t expect. I’ve been aware of how much I use it for a while but the blackout has put me in a position where I really wanted to take action and try to change my patterns up. I’ve found that using social media less has positively affected my mental state and has made me feel a bit more liberated. In a weird way, social media has a way of making me feel trapped or confined. But using it less, it’s given me a clearer head and even has a way of affecting my mood. One thing that I missed the most about social media is the comedic relief that it brings because it has a way of cheering me up on my worst day at times. One thing that I didn’t miss the least was comparing myself and my life to other people who I may come across on my social media accounts.  I wouldn’t...

       I think that social media truly serves a number of purposes in my life. I use it to stay up to date with events going on around the world because I feel like it’s important to stay informed. I use it for entertainment purposes or even comedic relief when I really need it. I use it to stay connected in the dance world because social media plays a huge role in discovering future employers and for even staying inspired. I also use it to stay connected to both my family and friends. But I’m starting to realize how much it plays on my insecurities and how much I use it as a filler during moments in my life when I have nothing else to do. It also sometimes feels like a safe space during moments in my life when I may feel uncomfortable or out of place. For example, if I’m in an elevator with someone I don’t know. It’s become habitual to pick up my phone and avoid the awkwardness to the point where I have to now force myself to live in it and be okay with it. I will s...

     When growing up, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a phone. When I was younger, I would use my parent's phones or even my grandparent's phones just so I could get on social media. I wasn’t even allowed to have an Instagram account but I would also try to sneak and do it. I thought it was the best thing ever to be able to connect with people behind a screen. I begged my mom for an iPod touch when they came out. Once I got it, I was instantly attached to it and couldn’t stay off it. That was the catalyst for a toxic relationship that I have with social media today. When this assignment was introduced to us, I had already felt totally defeated and like it would’ve been an impossible thing to accomplish. But I’m ready to keep an open mind and try so that I can fully be made aware of the impact that social media has had on not only my mental state but my life as a whole.       My social media represents who I am partially but not fully. Specifically w...