Mid-Week Thoughts

Social Media. We all have a love/hate relationship with it. I know from my experience with it, it has tremendously changed, especially in the last 5-7 years.  Most people have some type of social media and use it daily if not hourly.  I have some thoughts on Social Media this week for my Mid-Week Thoughts.....

The other night, I was rummaging through my Tumblr account looking for a specific post; I was deep in my archives-July 2013ish- and I found exactly what I was looking for (it was the friYAY! pink graphic from last Friday, if you were wondering). Then I started to look even further back and I noticed something interesting. I posted whatever I wanted- I wasn't cohesive, it was part of a color scheme, it was what made me happy. If I wanted to post 7 photos in a row that was for a holiday, I did. If I found a long read that I agreed with, I shared it. It didn't matter what you did and that was magical.

I also took a short trip back to my other two blogs- Just Simply Elle and Everyday Jersey Girl; Most of these posts were just me talking, little snippets from my day or something funny I observed. The posts were sometimes only a few lines, sometimes they were long. I miss that kind of blogging. I feel now when you post something you have to make sure it fits your online presence and the aesthetic matches with your mission statement. In the old days of blogging, you did it strictly because you liked what you saw and you wanted to authentically talk about it.

There are bloggers that do exactly that- they jus talk about their lives without any concern for a specific aesthetic or cohesiveness- they post about their lives- messiness and all. I LOVE that- the ones who aren't afraid to be real.

Krista Robertso from Covering the Bases was posting from her Instagram archives last week and she was commenting on how what she posted back in 2013 would never work in today's instagram. She had a lot of #ootd collages that showcased her accessories and preppy outfits. Carly Heitlinger from Carly the Prepster also was talking about how she looked back at her Pinterest secret board from 2011 and showed what her aesthetic was back then for her wedding. Carly has been pretty true to herself (from what I've observed online) and her aesthetic over the years.  Its nice to see these Influencers be authentic and show that they used to do the same thing- post whatever they wanted.

Its funny how things change over the years. This old way of social media- posting what you want- I think was so much more authentic. You shared what you wanted to share, you didn't have to follow any unwritten rules and online life just seemed simpler. That was just over 5 years ago- it seems like a lifetime ago. Now, in 2020, if you are an influencer, you have to post certain things, saying exact phrases and positioning branded items in your photos/videos just so. I am glad Instagram has made influencers tag their posts as 'sponsored' or 'ad' to show people that they really are getting paid to talk about a certain product.

During the pandemic, I think everyone has been consuming more screen time then they ever had. It looks like people are having the best time ever and I fall into this comparison trap of saying "why are they having a better time than I am?" You only see what they are showing your in their winning season; you have no idea what they lost in their losing season. Its a fine line to see and not become consumed with it all.

Do I love this new social media...the jury is out on that. I try to show my authentic self  online, in whatever I post, wherever I post it. I know I have been more selective what I choose to post which for me makes sense- its all about joyfulness- if it doesn't spark joy, its not being posted by me. I have also been more selective on what I choose to see in my newsfeed. Why would I post something that I just hate or am angered by. I try to keep the joyfulness and authenticity in the forefront.

I think that's enough for this Mid-Week Thoughts. I'm going to try to do this ever so often, its fun to just write 

Do you enjoy social media like you used to? Has the use of social media changed for you?

[Bring your own sunshine]]

-gabrielle