Hey all,
Hows you?

A quick note before I start: Yes, I referenced The Hunger Games in my title and no I have no shame.

I've heard about Essena O'Neill and how she's quitting social media ect, ect, simply because most of the internet hasn't shut up about it since she posted her video on her (now deleted) Youtube channel. You can watch the video here. I hadn't really payed attention to it at the start, but the more press it gets and the bigger this story becomes, the more it's peaked my attention.

I have never watched her video about why she's quitting Youtube. I watched a response video by Doddleoddle and thought, okay well fuck it, and I've decided to watch it.

I'm going to watch the video, and no and again when I find something I want to talk about I will.

Just remember when you read this post that I have been on social media since the age of 10 (when I got my Facebook acount), and who is active on pretty much every social media platform there is, and I also have a blog, which I promote on social media.

She says right at the start of her video that she's scared and that she doesn't know where it's going to go. My immediate reaction is "yeah... but you should be used to that". Anyone who has social media for a job or even, like me, just a hobbie will know that social media is probably one of, if not the most unstable jobs you can have (except maybe a stock broker). That's just how it is. You can lose a lot with just one badly placed tweet or blog post or Tumblr post or video. Especially if you have it as a job and you're relying on the money coming in from social media and advertising to pay the rent for that month. Obviously, it must be terrifying if you went into this straight out of school and you've never had a real job then yes, I feel you, I feel just as terrified about leaving college next year and being faced with the big bad world so obviously I can totally relate, but still, if this has been coming for a long time, shouldn't she have maybe made some plans before-hand of what the hell you're going to do?

She says that when she would connect with people, instead of "love and being in nature and getting out there and talking about life". Can we just be real for a sec? I am a very mature person for my age. I tend to get along better with people who are older than me, I mean in college, I'm the youngest person in my friendship group. Most of the girls I'm friends with are at the ages of 16-19. I also have friends who are in their early 20s and I have an awful tendancy to listen to random people's conversations if I'm in a café or a restaurant and I can pretty much guarantee you that not one of those people has ever just "talked about life". I don't know what you mean by "talking about life" but to me it sounds pretty fucking deep, and most young adults are that deep. Hell, no one I know is that deep. And to be totally fair I think she has really been mentally affected by Tumblr and the internet with their fucking "justgirlyshit" if she thinks that people are actually going to sit under the stars, looking at a camp fire talking deep all the freaking time. You just don't. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you just don't and I think that's a really silly and rose-tinted view of things.



I want to be real for a sec. Can I be real for a sec? I'm going to be real for a sec. Certainly, number don't and shouldn't define you. However. HOWEVER. It does feel good to get followers. As I'm writing this, I have 137 followers on Instagram and 78 followers on Twitter. And ask any of my blogging friends, I am so happy when I reach a new milestone. People always say "numbers don't matter" and they're right. But that doesn't mean you should feel bad because you get happy when you see you're starting to get a fair few followers. You shouldn't feel bad or selfish or egotistical because you do a little dance when you see that you've hit your next follower or view goal. Comments and likes and followers - they don't matter, but it's nice. It's nice when someone comments on an Instagram photo saying I'm pretty. Or when someone comments on my blog saying they enjoyed my post. Certainly, what she's saying about how making your entire day about that, yeah, that I agree that when it gets to that, then yeah there's a problem. Though again she says almost as if it's wrong to be excited by likes and followers. I'm not even slightly ashamed to say that when I get over 10 likes on a photo, yeah, I'm bloody well proud. I'm bloody well proud and happy that I got those likes. But that doesn't mean that feel any less of a good and valued person when someone unfollows me or when I don't get many likes on a photo.

"You don't have to go on social media to connect" - HELL TO THE NO. I am, as I mentionned previously, I am quite an introverted person. And, during my final year in high school, so last term, I was, more or less, alone. I had one "real" friend, and that's my best friend Andréa, who I thank the gods for everyday because I'd be really fucked up without her, but anyway, yeah, most of my friends were on Facebook. I met a couple of my closest friends online. You can connect to people on social media. Certainly, if you let it rein your life then yes you will be miserable. But if you find that balance of social media to "real" life, then you're pretty much doing it right. She says how you should go to a park or a beach or wherever, but if you're alone, then you might as well sit in front of a screen. I know that some people do literally only have friends online. So actually, the advice she's giving is pretty dumb. Because the best way to feel alone is to go somewhere where you can see people connecting and being with their friends and family and being the only one there alone. I know that from experience since when I was at school, generally I would be the only one who wasn't paired off. I was the kid who sat alone at lunch. So yeah, I can guarantee that.

Okay so certainly, we're all putting on a face for social media. If we were all totally honest on social media, I'd put a selfie on Instagram right now with the caption "On my period, cramps are killing me omfg! So freaking bloated it may kill me! *laughing emoji* #period #ouch #nomake-up". Who cares about my cramps? No one. That's who. We're all pretending to be happy, don't lie to yourself.

She says that she can't afford rent, so she's asking for donations from people who used to be her followers? Really? I can't help but think that's a bit cheeky. Like "I'm not giving you anything but give me money because I deleted my Instagram account where I used to make all my money on a whim".

One thing that annoys me though, is that she's all like "yeah I'm quitting social media, it's bad bla bla bla" but tell me, this website she's created, how does she plan on getting the message out to the world? Social media. Same with her t-shirts. She'll promote them on social media. I'll make a bet with anyone, that if she makes her t-shirts, she'll pose with one on and Instagram it to get her word out. So basically, if you think about it, she'll be doing exactly what she was doing before, but she'll just be promoting her own stuff instead of other brands. Ironic, no?

I feel like she's being overly dramatic towards the end though. Just, stop my love. I know you feel passionate about this but you just look pathetic tbh.

The conclusion to this post is this (I'm impressed, I have a conclusion for once haha): social media can be dangerous. It can make you feel like shit. It can make you become selfish and self absorbed and superficial. If you don't use it in the right way. I'm rather lucky because, as I mentionned in a post a couple of months back, I have a really rational mind. I find it very easy to look at the big picture and keep a level head, so I didn't really get that bug of needing social media and depending off followers as if they were cigarettes (yeah... I took the more deadly option).

What I'm trying to say, in a nutshell, is this: SOCIAL MEDIA ISN'T DANGEROUS IF YOU USE IT THE RIGHT WAY.

If you keep yourself safe and are not an idiot, social media can actually enhance your life (I love scrolling back through my photos on Instagram and think of all the good times I had with those people or at the places). If you start to become like Essena and it becomes all you think about, then, yes, it's time to take a break.

Just remember not to let it be all you do. Be able to detatch yourself from your phone and be with other people. Like I said before, it's all about balance.

So, social media, real or not real? My answer is real, to an extent. What's your's?

What are your thoughts on the subject? Let me know in the comments.