The Voice in My Head
Image Courtesy: Fubiz
I used to have social media. The reason I deleted it is not what this article is about; that isn’t relevant. But after spending crucial years of my life without it, I have noticed things within myself and the people around me that make me thankful that I tossed it.
This time in our lives is for discovery, especially of ourselves. You could call it “finding yourself,” as though some parts of you were lost. A key part of growing up is learning more about this self. This all comes from listening - something I don’t think we do very well in the age of constant technology. My hot take, perhaps my hottest, is that people are becoming more boring. I’ve heard it said that social media promotes an individualistic mindset a little too much. I have recently been convinced that it’s working to do the opposite in the last few years. It’s starting to seem like we are expressing authenticity nowadays only because that trend is in. Our obsession with categorizing aesthetics and labeling ourselves as affiliated with groups is nothing new, but it is only enhanced by the fact that we now have access to all these platforms and people’s opinions.
The standard of the content we consume is rapidly falling. There’s something to be said about who is speaking on social media and how it takes very little effort to do so. Publishing a book or writing a movie, though you could argue some authors aren’t qualified, they still took the time to write it, to publish it. This means that they believe in it. There’s also something to be said about finding an author that changes your life or a song that says exactly what you feel, but I can’t help but feel like you could never become an author if all your life you only read.
Over the past six years, I've stayed off Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok (still rocking with Pinterest). The main thing I have found is that I can hear my own voice more clearly. My life influences are the people I care about and the art that I admire. So often, we take inspiration and input from those we don’t know and wouldn’t ask advice from. I think we need to cut back on the influences in our lives. Surrounded by so many opinions, it’s hard to hear your own. Follow fewer people, dedicate yourself to only a couple of causes so as not to get overwhelmed with the state of the world, and instead of scrolling, spend that time creating something of your own. It will start to feel as if you are having new experiences every day, committed to experiencing life on your own, in your own words, with your voice.
Strike Out,
Writer: Paris Feazell
Editor: Blake N. Fiadino
Tallahassee