COLUMN: Use social media freely, or not at all
News Editor | Kate Carlson
One of my main concerns in life is making sure I portray myself so the world sees an accurate representation of my core morals and values. This includes every way I express myself, from how I act, what I say and all of my personal social media outlets.
As social media gained popularity toward the end of my high school years and exploded when I started college, it has been drilled into my head repeatedly to “be careful what I post,” by my parents, professors and potential employers.
This is not specific to me — if there is a millennial out there who hasn’t gotten the “social media lecture” on not posting controversial things then I’ll deactivate all of my accounts on the spot, because I know that’s something everyone my age has had to sit through.
While I recognize there is value in keeping some form of professionalism on social media, overall I despise this self-censorship idea that is pushed on my generation.
Usually people who warn against “risqué” social media behavior are people who don’t use social media themselves, so they lack an understanding of what it even means.
There is an idea that “saying whatever you want” on social media is a terrible thing, but I don’t see how it can be worse than being too afraid of the consequences of sharing your honest opinion with the world.
I’m not saying that sharing your thoughts on social media that might be deemed as “unprofessional” will not have consequences. For me, the risk of is worth the reward. “Consequences” I’ve experienced are intelligent debates with followers about controversial subjects, receiving backlash for advocating for an unpopular cause, and my friends making fun of me for tweeting too much.
But I have a lot to say. For me, social media is usually the best platform for putting out my opinion and challenging or accepting the opinion of others.
If everyone practiced this extreme level of harsh self-censorship on social media, then every account would be bland and not personal. There would be no exchange of ideas, any communication or knowledge being shared.
I like to think I keep a somewhat-professional presence on social media, but I see no value in taking part in any kind of exchange of information if it is not an honest representation of myself. This is why my Twitter has some swearing, some articles I shared with my own comments on why I agree or disagree with someone else’s ideas, and some tweets that are flat out ridiculous. I treat the media I control as a direct extension of myself; otherwise I see no point in having it at all.
I urge my fellow users of social media to not be afraid to express themselves on all systems of communication. Participate in the conversation.
Our voices are important and shouldn’t be silenced by the idea that we can’t express ourselves freely in every aspect of our life.
Don't use social media at all if you aren't willing to put yourself out there when the situation arises.
