Since shortly after I started the blog, and more specifically an Instagram page for the blog, I’ve been having some mixed feelings about social media.

It was just as I was launching the blog that the Instagram algorithm changed. Basically the number of likes you have became irrelevant and your exposure in other people’s feed became based on saves, comments, and shares. 

And like many people, this makes me want to pull my hair out. Not because saves are now more important, but because they (the social media overlords and Zuck) play such an important role in the information you see. If you haven’t watched The Social Dilemma yet on Netflix, I think it’s worth a watch. I found it a little dramatized, but mostly supportive of a lot of the thoughts I’ve been having recently about social media.

I think a very fair argument can be made that if you don’t like the way social media works, you can just stay off of it. Lots of people do. And I commend them. I’ve taken a few of my own social media cleanses, and I do want to work on having more consistent times where I’m “unplugged”.

But the fact of the matter is, there are a lot of things about social media that I really do like! I think social media, like most technology, has changed a lot of aspects of our lives for the better. 

I live pretty far from a lot of friends and family and social media is one of the major ways I stay connected to them. There’s a part in The Social Dilemma where the idea of living for a week without your cell phone is posed. I immediately said, “No way.” Connor pushed me on that a little. The truth is, especially right now, the only person I would likely have any contact with during the day are Connor and the door guy for our apartment. And while I am an introvert and somedays that sounds like a dream, there is not a chance I make it 7 days like that. 

Social media has also been especially helpful (and some would rightfully argue hurtful) the last few months. I get a lot of news from following reputable news accounts. I’ve also been exposed to views and ideas that are different than my own and challenged the way I approach and talk about certain topics.

I love following different experts and professionals in fields that interest me like nutrition, running, cooking, politics, etc. I get ideas for workouts, meals, and cocktails. People have shared photos and words that inspire me to do something hard or try something new. I’ve seen places I didn’t know existed right in my backyard, or on the other side of the world. I’ve been able to connect with people I never would bump into walking down the street (because I’m an introvert and WHO MEETS PEOPLE WALKING DOWN THE STREET??).

My problem with social media is when it starts to control the way I interact with others and think about myself. Prior to starting a blog, I made zero efforts to increase my reach on a post, to get the more likes or followers. Now I’m in the same boat as many others who rely on social media to support a business or income or even are just trying to put themselves out there. Commenting on posts that I maybe wouldn’t normally comment on. Saving things I will never look at. (To be clear, I really like the save function. I’ve been using it for awhile now to save workouts and recipes I want to try.) Anxiously checking how many people liked a photo. Feeling obligated to post at certain days or times when traffic is high.

I want to be very clear about something here. If you are someone who does these things, who enjoys doing these things, I think that is fantastic. I don’t want to be misinterpreted as saying these things are bad or wrong. 

It’s just that they are wrong for me. They make me crazy and stressed. And they feel really inauthentic to who I am. 

To be blunt, I usually don’t care what your weekend plans are, your favorite fall activities, if you like working from home or in the office. If I wanted to know these things, I would just reach out to you directly, I don’t need to ask you about it on a social media post I blasted out to the world purely to encourage engagement. And if you post a photo of it and I think it looks cool, I will definitely give it some love! And if I don’t, you should know that my opinion shouldn’t mean that much to you.

What feels authentic to me is using my social media to share thoughts about certain topics, cool pictures, experiences I really enjoyed (or maybe didn’t), and things I think others will enjoy or appreciate. Or maybe just things that I appreciate. I’m a human being, so I’ll get excited when a lot of people like a photo, but I probably won’t take it down if they don’t. 

I’m fortunate that this blog and my social media accounts are just something I do for my own enjoyment, they aren’t tied to an income or anything like that. So I can kick my feet up and tell the holy algorithm where to get off. I’m aware that’s not the case for everyone, so I promise to still share the love (and comments and saves) where I can, but just know I am not expecting them in return.

With all of that being said, I’m going to stop using and eventually get rid of the @goodgolly_ Instagram account. I started it to promote this blog, which is not going anywhere, and it just really isn’t serving me to have two Instagram accounts. I would love it if you follow me on my personal account, @mollyyerin, but if you don’t that’s very fine too. I’ll be promoting any new posts there, but mostly just posting pictures of Daisy.

You can also now subscribe to the blog, should your heart desire! Get an email whenever there is a new post by entering your email below, or at the very bottom of any page.

Thanks for your support as I get my ducks in the same pond.

Cheers!

-Molly