Social Media and Me
A multitude of new players has entered the ever-expanding world of social media along with a horde of new ways to use existing social media tools. There can be a learning curve for many of the features, and frankly, it can be a time suck to use and learn the platforms! Fortunately, there are some awesome benefits to socializing online. On the other hand, there are also some pitfalls we all need to avoid too!
Social Media Tools I use
TikTok Likes and Dislikes
I have gotten into using TikTok this year, myself. I am not that surprised I like it, because I loved Vine, which was a previous incarnation of TikTok. I was never really into reels or Snapchat, which have some similar characteristics to TikTok. I want to become a TikTok guru, but some of the controls have been a bit difficult for me to learn. I suppose surfing through TikTok isn’t that difficult but making a TikTok in the native app seems more challenging!
I used to work in the film industry, so filming “extra” is necessary so that you have enough to cut down. In the app, you must keep filming concise, as it doesn’t let you go back or cut some “film” to take more video. It’s hard to figure out the timing and where to place text as well. I need to practice editing! My friends and family that make TikToks say it’s all about using external filming and editing, then importing the media afterward. I don’t like this added step! Time is money! Hahaha! My time is at a premium it seems, these days too.
I love that TikTok can be so versatile to a person’s varied interests. Curation is the name of the game on many social platforms. I love finding out what other people watch on TikTok too. I always find a new genre I didn’t know existed from talking with other people or friends sending me TikToks they like. I love travel TikToks and lists of cool places in my area. I’m also a foodie, so reviews of new restaurants and video of what they offer is a tremendous help when making foodie adventure plans.
TikTok also has some very toxic elements. I worry about everyone using the platform, but especially younger generations, feeling inadequate from TikTok and other social media. Some filters allegedly show you the “perfect face” and how “off” your features are from “perfect” or “symmetrical.” I really dislike this element as it is SO harmful to people. I also dislike the negative and dangerous TikTok challenges, like hurting people or destroying property. These components do nothing to advance society.
Instagram Likes and Dislikes
I am a millennial, so I also really enjoy Instagram. The photos and the short blurbs just appeal to me for their simplicity, though TikTok gives me a bit more information, which I also enjoy. Time is short, and our attention spans are even shorter! I enjoy Instagram when I am somewhere that I can’t necessarily play the sound out loud. Unfortunately, Instagram is another opportunity for toxicity though, and for the same reasons as TikTok. I suppose most social media platforms have these same pitfalls.
One of my all-time favorite social media platforms is Reddit. Interestingly enough, there are only about 52 million daily active users worldwide. I find this strange since almost everyone I know seems to be on Reddit. In perspective, there are about 7 million people in the greater Houston area alone, so 52 is a relatively small number (Jankowski, 2019). Conversely, Facebook, since the second quarter of 2021 has had around 2.89 billion active daily users (Statista Research Department, 2021)!
Reddit Likes and Dislikes
Reddit lets you curate your interests like the others but has as little or as much information as the user would like. I especially love Reddit for its informative sidebars in communities. I often find myself getting into a new show and wondering more about the book, comics, animated series, OVA shorts, etc. of that franchise. Simply search Reddit and you will have the information on which order to watch them, or which ones to skip, where to start in a series, etc. If you have a question about anything, Reddit has your answer.
If you wonder if anyone has ever made a graph or chart of something, check Reddit. If a subject is not there, maybe you could be THE CHOSEN ONE! Do it, and farm all the internet cool points, known as Karma! Reddit has everything, and it has the community element to back it all up! Reddit can be a fun place to find your tribe, and that is why it remains one of my favorite platforms.
References
Jankowski, P. (2019). Houston population expected to exceed 7.1 million by 2020. Houston. Retrieved October 31, 2021, from https://www.houston.org/news/houston-population-expected-exceed-71-million-2020.
Statista Research Department. (2021, September 10). Facebook mau worldwide 2021. Statista. Retrieved October 31, 2021, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/264810/number-of-monthly-active-facebook-users-worldwide/.
Info Quest 