Social media is a large part of my everyday life, so much so as I barely even think when I use it. Clicking on the apps is a part of my muscle memory and those apps are probably 75% of the reason I use my phone. Regardless of the habitual nature my social media usage has, I find it very captivating and absolutely pertinent in today’s world.
Whether it’s to keep up with friends and family or world news, I have an account on nearly every social media platform. The main sites I interact with are Instagram, Snapchat, Tik Tok, Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook. Instagram, Snapchat, Tik Tok, and Pinterest are used mostly for my own gratification. I really enjoy staying up to date with my friends, celebrities, and trends, too. Facebook is most commonly a means for me to stay connected with my family. Finally, there’s Twitter… Despite many popular opinions, it’s not my favorite. I have never enjoyed the layout, can’t choose who to follow, and haven’t really found my niche on the app. Nonetheless, I find it necessary to use Twitter in much of my daily life so I check in on it a couple times a week. It provides a plethora of up-to-date, vital news, especially in today’s social and political climate.
Over time, I find myself more and more disappointed at the content I find on most of my apps. I feel like all of my social media accounts are flooded with ads and it’s so difficult to see through to the content I’m there for. This tends to muster an apathy inside of me when I’m scrolling through pages.
The ad content becomes even more frustrating when I realize the ad I’m seeing of mac and cheese is because my friends and I were debating earlier about which brand is best. There are serious privacy issues that must be kept in mind by social media users. It used to feel like a myth that our phone could be listening to us but now, it’s way too plausible to deny.
During my time as a journalism student, I have learned many of the ins and outs of safety on social media. There is a lot to look out for like data collection, location monitoring, and ad targeting. Although there is risk involved, we make a choice to continue our social media engagement. Why? Well, it’s a powerful tool for promoting, news sharing, connecting, educating, and selling products. It’s a tool with competence that can’t be found in many other places.
Throughout the course of this semester, I hope to gain knowledge of how to effectively use these apps for my future career. As I mentioned, I find social media captivating and an excellent tool for promotion and marketing. I hope to work with these kinds of tasks in the future and knowing particulars of the way social media functions will boost me in the right direction.
Ruthie's Writings. 