Once upon a time, people only used traditional media like radio broadcasts, newspapers and television advertising to gain attention. Whether it was for a desired focus on themselves or a product, these were the only mediums that reached a large audience.
Today, the quickest and easiest way to sell yourself or something else is social media. I use social media for that reason—it’s simple. At the click of a mouse, I communicate with my world of friends, family and total strangers. I develop my own personal brand through pictures, videos, and posts. I choose what the world gets to see, putting out the most attractive version of myself…literally.
Basically, I use social media because it makes narcissism not only socially acceptable, but cool. It’s all about ME. I get to document everything I do and have the satisfaction of knowing that people want to see it. 121 people watched my snapchat of me at dance. 13 people retweeted my post about Hillary Clinton. 250 people liked my Instagram. These views and likes translate into social approval and acceptance. It validates my ideas and self-image.
It would be easy to say that I use social media to document my memories and communicate. But it goes far deeper than that. I use social media, and I think we all use social media, to celebrate the average person getting to feel like a celebrity. We’re all obsessed with ourselves. In my eyes, we all choose to be modernly mediagenic and knowingly narcissistic.
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H. (2015). Is Social Media Making Our Generation More Selfish? – College Magazine. Retrieved September 11, 2016, from http://www.collegemagazine.com/social-media-making-generation-selfish/
Willy Wonka spitting truth about #socialmedia #NHsmc pic.twitter.com/miyWp8LUSf
— Raychel Renna (@raychelrrenna) September 11, 2016
The fact that there is a guide for this…. #NHsmc https://t.co/k2KalKH9LG
— Raychel Renna (@raychelrrenna) September 11, 2016
I absolutely love this post. I think that you touch on an aspect of social media that not all people want to admit – that it really is all about yourself. I know I use social media to stay informed, but I completely agree that at the root of it, I use it for self-validation. Look at Kim Kardashian for example… she has created a brand out of herself. Her social media is completely narcissistic, but its to further her business. So at the root of it, she’s completely trying to self validate. Loved this post, and very well written.
I can 100% identify with your view. So many of us will admit that we love and use social media because of the validation we get from likes, comments, Retweets, etc. Not many people are willing to say they love social media because it puts them in the spotlight, as Courtney mentioned above, but saying that and owning it will only make your social better! That’s definitely a main takeaway I’ve left COM 427 with.