My Usage of Social Media: LJ1

    I have been using social media regularly for the past ten years. I first used Facebook, then Instagram, and then Snapchat. I made a Facebook account when I was in 4th grade so I could talk to my camp friends who lived in New York. So originally I used social media for communication mainly but I didn't use it often. I started using Instagram when I was in 6th grade, in 2012. I downloaded the app because my sister had said how cool it was, so I'm not sure if that makes me an early adopter or part of the early majority because the app was released in 2010. When I first started posting I would post with as many hashtags as I could, but now I never add hashtags to my captions unless it's to make a joke. I also don't really use Instagram for the same reasons as I used to. I used to post and see what my friends were posting, but now I don't post often or at all and I just scroll and look at other posts. I also don't look at peers' posts as often as I used to, but rather I look at art or humorous posts from random accounts. If I could go back I would want to know how addictive it can be. I now enjoy scrolling on Instagram more than I enjoy posting, which is completely opposite from where I started. That is the reason I was putting off downloading TikTok, I knew I would scroll on it for hours. Currently, my favorite social media platform is Snapchat. I love being able to talk to my friends and send photos and videos so easily. I enjoy communicating on social media more than scrolling, the time feels more fulfilling to me. I get sucked into scrolling rather than deciding I want to scroll for 2 hours, it just happens which feels like a waste of time. I had to add a time limit to Instagram to prevent scrolling too much.

    Social media is fun because you are able to post what you want and use it to express yourself. But that is also what can make it difficult to use. Using Instagram as an example, it is really hard to scroll through the app looking at other people's accounts and not compare yourself. Your social media account becomes an online image and people tend to only post the best of themselves. Seeing only the good parts of people's lives and romanticizing this, can make people think poorly of themselves or their lives. Quitting social media can be very good for mental health if it isn't being used well by the person. Social media has changed so much since I started using it and my individual use has also changed so much. It is interesting to have to think about it and actually notice the differences in my own use.





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