#mydailyblurb - Social Media

Recently in the media we have seen a lot of talk on Australian model Essena O'Neill who took a vow to 'quit' social media in realisation of its misuse. Whilst a lot of people have praised her, a lot of people have questioned her, labelling her a hoax, attention seeking, fake etc.

It is human nature to question things and quite frankly it is healthy to. In fact it's no wonder we do when we live in a society that so heavily conceals the truth. But to bring someone down? That is a real shame.

Some people have come out to say "who really cares" and "look at the media focusing on another topic that doesn't actually matter." Well yes if you're indulging in it to tear someone to pieces then I completely agree but otherwise it does matter. And it matters because it is relevant. Social media being a somewhat recent thing has caused a lot of controversy in recent years. On one end it has shed light on political matters all over the world and on the other end it has created massive insecurities for the present and younger generations in the Western world. It is important to bring light to this also.

When social media is used correctly it can be an incredibly powerful tool for insight and for change. At the touch of a button we have this incredible portal of discovery and knowledge at our very own finger tips. Used in the wrong way however and research has shown it can cause, anxiety, jealousy, not feeling good enough, depression and even suicide. But how we use it is entirely up to us.

Essena O'Neill is just another example of a young girl who got caught up in the wrong side of things. Who's to blame? Nobody. But somewhere down the line her lack of authenticity obviously got to her and overwhelmed her sparking some sort of realisation/awakening and need for change that has been shared publicly.

So why is that important? Essena started out where most young girls start out. Fooled by the "perfection" of these Instagram accounts, not to mention magazines and heavily photoshopped images that have disconnected a lot of us from reality and created massive insecurities to not just young girls but everyone. People sit and compare their lives wondering why they don't look/feel/as good/are as popular or have as much fun as the next person does. People feel compelled to only show their "best selves" and feel ashamed or let down to show or even feel anything that is other than "perfect". The result? A lack of truth, loneliness, depression, and distance from everything that actually connects us.

The need for Essena's attention/validation through likes and comments fuelled by a lack of self-love from an early age is something a lot of people have been able to relate to. Her interests are now being seen in: veganism, environmentalism, gender equality and conversation/discussion around the bigger picture beyond our egos. Whether she is on social media or not it is quite clear that the change is in her purpose and the way in which she uses it. A lot of publications have also heavily tried to take her down and have now criticised her for asking of small honest "open hat" donations on her site. There are a million worse ways in which people, corporations, charities, businesses take or ask of money from us.

The conclusion?

Social media can have have a negative impact on us if we choose to let it. But we always have a choice. We can indulge in topics that help educate us, live presently away from our phones and the internet, enjoying time alone and with loved ones and connecting ourselves back to our true selves before the world started telling us who and how we should be. We can practice the activities that actually help nourish us and help us grow giving room for self-love and not dumb ourselves down with pointless media gossip, crap food, reality tv shows in order to see our true potential!

When we seek beyond our image and beyond our ego we come closer to our true purpose and that purpose inspires change for the evolution of our future generations. We all have a voice and social media is a powerful way of giving everybody a chance to get heard.

#mydailyblurb