As I Get Older, I Am Conflicted About Social Media

Hilarious Old Publicity Photo as a Social Media Influencer. Note the Blackberry.

I don’t know if anyone else feels like this, but I have such a conflicted relationship with social media. I am a pretty much an elder Gen X-er, having been born most auspiciously in the summer of ’69. This is literal decades away from being a Millennial. Despite this, I have always worked at the forefront of Internet technology, and in fashion, requiring me to stay up-to-date, relevant and engaged with societal evolution and the youth. Anyone who has met me will know that I have a terrifying grip on pop culture – most of which I have no idea how I know – and that I am very definitely not typical ‘for my age’. And yet, often I feel exactly like a 50-year-old. A bit confused by the modern world, slightly off-balance at how the young live their lives and a little desperate to be able to switch it all off and bury my head in the soft, squishy sofa cushions that I unfashionably love so much.

I don’t know, it’s weird. This feeling passes and I am back discussing the comparative merits of the latest crop of hip hop superstars with the guy at work. But I only have to take a look at my social media feeds to know that they actually expose a very tenuous grip on the modern world, if anyone should care to take more than a passing look.

Cosmo Magazine Twitter Queen 2011. Again With the Blackberry.

Six or seven years ago I was prolific on the socials. I had a Twitter following of over 10,000 people; I looked down on Facebook participants and only used it to keep in touch with old school mates and other folk of my own age. I had been an early adopter of Instagram and even used Snapchat briefly – albeit that I had to watch a You Tube tutorial to figure out how to do that. TikTok is downloaded onto my phone, but I have yet to actually use it. I mean to. At some stage. Just to say that I have.

Now, in the latter months of 2019, I post extremely rarely. I use this blog as an excuse to post at least once a week, promoting my blog entries across FB, Twitter and the ‘Gram – and seldom supplement these posts with exposure to my personal life, unless it is a very special occasion, or an exceptional view. In fact my most significant personal relationship right now is mostly social-media free. We noticed that we always were having too much fun together to remember to record it on social media, so we took a decision to keep it that way. Our time is not for anyone else’s information, judgment or record. And we have never once had to rethink that decision.

And yet, take one look at my weekly screen time report and you will know instantly that I spend the majority of this time on Instagram and Facebook – way too many hours to have any kind of superior attitude when it comes to social media. It’s an embarrassment of wasted time. I spend it reading interesting articles of course, laughing at the hilarious memes, watching dance choreography videos and Jennifer Garner’s brilliantly endearing feed. I adore deep diving into Comments by Celebs, chasing the posters down the rabbit hole of celebrity culture. And I keep up to date on world politics and news, trying not to get too trapped in a lefty-liberal echo chamber of comfort.

Posting All These Old Publicity Photos Is My Contribution to Amusement Today.

It all makes me feel decidedly guilty – having got so much out of the joy of social media and contributing myself, so very little. And then I remember that it is exactly the same as my social life, and that maybe that’s just who I am. As a confident introvert, maybe I am just happier in a space of celebrating and absorbing other people’s shining lights – but that when I do contribute, I make sure that it is impactful and worthwhile. Maybe that’s what I should be aiming at anyway. Oh, and next time you wonderful readers see me in the wild, test me on my pop culture knowledge. It’s my favourite game ever.