ONE OF THE sacrifices being made for Lent is that I deleted all the social media applications (except WhatsApp) from my phone. This means that for 40 days and 40 nights, I will go without any social media interaction. Truth be told, I do not miss much of it. While I love social media and can list all of its benefits, the cons of social media usage are also quite clear.
Social media, like money, enhances and eventually exposes who a person is. If someone is a liar, social media will expose the lengths such persons will go to live their lies. I remember years ago, a former schoolmate would post all kinds of pictures of what most would deem to be an enviable lifestyle. One day, she was on the beaches of Hawaii, the next day, she was skiing in the Alps.
While everyone was raving about this “Cinderella” story, my friends didn’t buy it. It wasn’t that we grudged her or were pessimistic. We simply did not forget that she was someone who created fantasies and had the tendency to lie – a lot. One day, boredom got the better of our teenage selves and we Googled her pictures. I would be the first to admit that whether the young woman was in Iran or Nigeria, it was none of our business.
However, that day taught us a very valuable lesson: all that glitters is surely not gold. This young woman was stealing the pictures of very rich people and posting them on her social media so that we “igrant” Bajans would “ooohh” and “ahhh” and “like” her pictures. This didn’t make her a bad person but it did show how the desperation for likes on social media can take us to pursue all kinds of desperate acts.
Quite recently, I was having a conversation with a friend about an issue he was experiencing. Halfway through the conversation and in an effort to further prove his point, he sent me a picture of someone taking a picture of something someone else was posting. Yes, it confused me too. Take a minute to process this. He-sent-me-a-picture-of-someone-taking-a-picture-of-what-someone-else-posted.
There and then I understood why the stats on productivity in Barbados could not be wrong – we are caught up with the wrong things! Before a lot of us find meaningful work, many of us lurk and peruse people’s social media profiles obsessing about what others are doing. Such people are the modern day Perlie and their window is social media.
Years ago, I posted a present I was given and the entire ordeal taught me another lesson about social media. Women, stop posting your men and flaunting your relationships on social media. The gift, upon posting, had a lot of likes and one comment. The comment read: “You are so lucky! I wish I had someone to give me a gift like that”. In no time, the same commenter was actively pursuing my then love interest. I love to see all the young couples in my age group posting their pictures.
However, as my girlfriends and I always say, when you have a prized pony and you flaunt it, it is only a matter of time before the vultures start swirling above ready to pounce! Additionally, people then begin to subconsciously feel invested in your relationship because you post every single detail about what you and Bob are doing. As a result, when you and Bob become the subject of conversation, you should not be surprised. Yes, many Bajans stick their noses where it doesn’t belong. Moreover, many of us give people’s noses safe havens.
In case you didn’t hear about Little Miss Chefette, we have reached an all-time low of insulting children. I stopped posting pictures of my siblings after my father politely asked me to desist from doing so. He was right. I enjoy seeing pictures of all my friends’ beautiful babies. However, there is always that one parent that is setting up herself for someone to eventually, and God forbid, kidnap the child. Additionally, there is nothing like when a person who was starved of compliments then gets a beautiful baby, all hell brek loose! Posting galore! Little John goes to pass water? She posts it. Little John eats his button? She posts it. All 7 000 of these parents’ followers know everything about John. As a result, they will feel that it is their right to openly opine on John’s development – some genuine, some mean. I don’t miss social media at all.
Toni Thorne is a young entrepreneur and World Economic Forum Global Shaper who loves global youth culture, a great debate and living in paradise. Email: Tonithorne@hotmail.com