Oftentimes, it’s hard to recognize when something’s not right when it’s all you’ve ever known. And growing up around kids with major anxiety, depression, and/or insecurities because of an app on their phone is pretty much all I’ve known. Although concerning, it’s not unreasonable for millions of developing minds to experience all these feelings. Having unlimited access to visual examples of who we think we should be and what we think we should be doing is enough to drive anyone crazy.
I’ve seen some people cope by creating online personas that didn’t match their personality in real life, by their way of thinking, if they just pretend to be who they wish they really were online then their reality would eventually catch up to their fantasy. I’m not going to lie, the concept of “fake it til you make it” was appealing for my younger self who struggled to find her footing in social settings. But, overall, the thought of having to maintain a double life was exhausting in itself and deterred me from pulling a digital Hannah Montana.
So, for the most part, my online presence has been a direct reflection of how I am in real life. Of course, seeing as I’m an introverted, serial over-thinker who rarely speaks in social settings unless comfortable, that means I rarely post at all. But if we’re being all self-reflective, if I’m not interacting with people online or in real life then that probably means that I’m not getting the recommended amount of human interaction. I was reminded of this while reading an article, How Using Social Media Affects Teenagers, by Rachel Emke in which she wrote about how “kids say calling someone on the phone is ‘too intense’—it requires more direct communication, and if you aren’t used to that it may well feel scary”. I recall all the dreaded phone calls to relatives that I had been putting off for weeks, and I think she may have a point.
Now, in an era where people get slightly popular and all their years-old (potentially problematic) tweets get dug up, my digital obscurity isn’t necessarily a terrible thing. But now that I’m preparing to join the creative workforce, not having an online presence is a sure-fire way to get overlooked in the job searching process. So this is obviously a habit I’m going to have to break, no matter how hard it is.
