Social Media

I really miss what the early days of Facebook were like. When it was only college students. We were having fun sharing photos, poking, and generally being nuisances to each other.

That is not what social media is any more. For a very long time and it is sad. It is still what I use it for. Sharing pictures and keeping up with people I do not talk to often. I ignore nearly all ads unless it is a place I shopped at previously to seeing the advertisement. (Mostly because it reminds me about the billion emails they sent me about a sale or new product.)

I do not go on to social media to shop. I also do not go on there expecting to be told the truth about anything. There have been studies done that show that the curated life everyone shares on Facebook gives people depression. Having been there from the beginning, I know the most messed up people are the ones that are trying to show that they have their lives all figured out. It is kind of sad. The more realistic the posting, the more genuine the life.

My kids have never learned that. No matter how much I tried to teach them. They keep posting things about “My life is so much better” and then tagging all these people from their past. The past families they lived with, old friends, and enemies. They are constantly stirring up drama.

They are adults and if that is how they want to conduct themselves, there is nothing I can do about it. It is just funny to me to see them posting about being “so over it” and they keep posting pictures from the past and nothing about what they are actually doing with their life.

Do they have friends? A job? Any hobbies or interests? You would not be able to tell from their social media. It is them constantly trying to put people on blast. They do not seem to realize these people will mute them or block them, if they even notice what they are doing. If they are not following you, they will never see it.

It reminds me of “vaguebooking”. When people would post cryptic messages and try and make everyone ask them what’s wrong. Only nobody is asking my kids. They receive no comments.

I am not sure what I could have done differently. I tried to teach them. I showed them the research. I told them how it has changed over time. They can see how other people post. I do not know why they think this is going to give them any kind of closure. It obviously is not, since they are constantly posting these things for four months now.

It is bizarre and sad when social media becomes all about the profits and not about connection. It could have been such a bright spot out there. Now it is this wasteland of advertisements, misinformation, and my children’s ridiculousness. It is screaming into the void. Hopefully they find some solace in that. High School is over.