Social Media…A Commentary

When it comes to social media, I can't figure out if I'm addicted or if "apps" are the modern day tools of communicating. Is FaceBook, a necessity of communicating in today's world? Some would say yes, and my two besties, who aren't on Facebook would say "no." But if I didn't have FaceBook, would I be communicating with people in high school or keeping in touch with as many people as I do? Probably not. I am constantly evualating my use of social media. I think this is because I am a girl and a girl's brain never really turns off. I am like the Professor character in X-Men, because I see so many thoughts floating around. Unlike the Professor, it's just my thoughts that I am weighing and sorting through. When it comes to social media its hard to know if I am over sharing or simply, trying to share because of the writer in me. One thing is for sure and that is I like to write. I'm not particularly good with grammar or spelling but I haven't let that stop me. I've been writing since the sixth grade, since Mrs. McKensie made me keep a year long journal as part of her class requirements. I had such trouble writing the required pages to get credit but by the end of the year, I had become the "Forrest Gump" of writing. Once I started I couldn't stop. I am now the owner of a box of journals that probably no one will ever read. Now that social media is prevalent, my need for a physical journal has ceased. I have a blog, a FaceBook Page, and several other record keeping mediums to keep "The Story of My Life" going. The only problem with these mediums is that they are public, unlike a private journal. There comes a point where you have to ask yourself if your over-sharing or worse, editing yourself because someone might see it, or worst yet, can what I do online be used against me? Unfortunately, the answer is yes, to all questions. Yes, what you do online can be used against you. I found myself in a situation where someone did friend me on Facebook and progressed to learn all about me and my relationships and used that information against me. It wasn't until I was taken out of that situation that I fully understood what had happened to me. I had been cyberstalked or "Single White Femaled" as one person put it. When something like that happens you immediately want to retreat from social media but when you are in fact, addicted and a writer to boot, it is very hard to stay away. At some point you have to either give in and trust the world and that 99% of the world aren't stalkers or live in hiding and shame yourself from doing the thing you like to do. But if you do that you can cut yourself off from the very communicating you were trying to do in the first place.