It has been refreshing to see women much younger than me question the way they use social media and pull away from chasing likes/engagement. They want their lives, including their social media usage, to be full of personal meaning. That kind of fulfillment cannot be found in gaming social media algorithms and striving to be “influencers”. Instead it is found in setting healthy boundaries about what accounts they interact with and what they choose to share via social media.
That kind of self-awareness seems to be catching; I have been asking myself the same questions. Don’t get me wrong: I do not think social media is a social evil destroying the fabric of society. Without social media people have and will find other ways to be shallow or cruel or waste time (or to connect and nurture deep friendships and inspire/find inspiration). But I do think at various times in my life I have focused too much on likes/engagement when assessing the value of what I post (and of my own worth by extension). I’ve been shifting my thinking away from that.
If I was using social media to promote a business, it would behoove me to understand and use the algorithms and even psychology to my advantage to get more eyes on my business’s content. But right now that is not what I primarily use social media for. I use it to be social, to share information, or to post things I want to share that represent me and which I wouldn’t mind re-reading. (Yes, I read my own social media posts for my own enjoyment and information.) That is what brings value to my life and to the lives of the people who follow me. So that is what I’ll continue to focus on.