My Social Media Manifesto

Social Media is undeniably a part of all our lives. There’s no getting around it. Even if you yourself do not have social media accounts, the people around you do. Your granddaughter is probably checking her Instagram right now. Your mom is posting about how proud she is of you on Facebook as we speak. Your friend just accepted a friend request from a mutual coworker. You are reading this on this type of social media right now.

So now I have some questions for you… Have you ever thought about how we all interact on social media? Did you ever think to have a plan for how you would act as you surfed the internet? I think if we all had structure to our interactions online, and really thought about how we would contribute, and what our beliefs are about social media and the internet, many things would change. We would see more personal updates from family, we would see more support from friends and family. We would connect more easily with those with whom we have not spoken to in a few years. Fewer hurtful words would be said. Going online would not be as much of a waste of time. You may not have concerns with some of these things, and that’s fine, but I have seen how I could improve my social media persona. I have also been asked to write about this subject for a class but I think it goes deeper than that.

Today, I want MY personal manifesto for social media to be known. It is rudimentary but I know it will help me think about how I interact with you and others online in public internet spaces. If you stop to take time and do something similar I believe you will definitely benefit for the better.

To start off…

My Beliefs:

On social media, I should…

• Be real- I don’t want to portray something that I am not. I want to share my victories and some sorrows.
• Positive- Even when I share content that is serious or negative, I want to point it to a higher ground, see the light in the darkness at some point.
• Fun- I am a funny person! I love making people laugh!
• Worry-Free- I promise not to over-advertise personal ventures or repost too often or spam out my feed. That’s a no-no
• A Way To Reach Out- I want to use my accounts to reach out to old friends better, people  have not talked to in a few years.

My Goals:

I want to…

• Post at least Bi-Monthly
• Uplift others
• Make my content/posts useful
• Connect personally with friends and family better
• Make it personal- I want to put my heart into whatever I put out for others to see and read.

Wisdom:

I have had a few years on social media. I know what I like to see and I know what I don’t. I don’t think my preferences are too different than others. Fewer ads, less reposted memes and gifs, more real updates from real people about real life, and good friends who are always still there for you. Be the kind of social media contributor that you like and see in others! Social media can have a huge impact especially since it is becoming ever more prevalent in our daily lives. Choose Wisely.

These are a few values I have thought about and believe will help guide my interactions and  hope it has given you something to think about as well. Thanks for the read and see you soon!

Thoughts on International Women’s Day

I am so happy that we could have a day that celebrates the effect that women have on our world. Women DO make a difference and I think it’s ever important that we realize this. Women are the victims of violence and mistreatment more than ever before and this is one way that societies and people are turned against each other. Why would women be victims if they are truly “not important” as some people and cultures believe? They are important and they are being targeted in many ways that are overwhelming. Women have a profound role, no matter where they are. Women are divinely designed to be kind and nurturing and caring. They are the glue to a family, it’s too bad that less and less people want to start families because its not popular or it is seen as a menial task to bear and rear children. Women are meant to be forces for good. I mean all these things in the most loving and caring way possible. It hurts me to see so many good women in my life who have supported me and helped me grow to be the person I am today, and how the world has trained society to downgrade us and bombard us with the pressure to be just beautiful, just a pretty face and judged only by our appearance. That’s just in America. In other places, women are seen as inferior and just not important at all, given no rights and no opportunities to make something of themselves. They are restricted to being servants of the man. They are married off at young ages and given no education. This feels wrong! Not because I have grown up a different way than them but because we are equals. There are only two genders, how could nature of God have made on of the two inferior? Women are amazing! they can build life and bring families together to be healthy, strong, and loved. When you kill a woman, you kill a whole potential generation that could have been. I watched a few TED talks today and one really got me thinking about all this. Its called “How I work to Protect Women From Honor Killings” by Khalida Brohi. This video made me think of how hard it is to change a culture. We can’t just go out and call out other peoples beliefs and there customs, but we can give the right tools to people who are affected by those customs so that they break the tradition and start the change for the coming generation. I can’t propose any solutions except the ones already given, such as training women on skills that help them to become empowered and independent, but I wish that more people would be sympathetic to the role of the woman in today’s society. It’s hard out here for us, so much pressure from every side to be perfect, to be conforming, to not be judged. I believe that man and woman are equal but different. I believe we do have certain roles that help relationships stay balanced; yes they may be traditional, but that is not downgrading, its beautiful! Child-rearing is something women are good at! It is a privilege to take care of the small souls God has given us, to nurture them so that they grow to become their own person. Its beautiful. I believe women should be educated and have the power to be self sufficient and independent. I also believe that man and woman are meant to be together and that marriage is ordained of God and divinely designed. I believe that we should let men hold the door for us sometimes too, because they need manly validation as well. It’s okay to let chivalry live and be your own woman! I know this post has been all over the place, but I hope it brings a new view to an already talked about topic. I do not mean to offend anyone in any way, I am just sharing some thoughts and views I have had in the past few days and some of my own beliefs. I hope you can accept that and step away with something. Happy belated International Women’s Day too 🙂

Week 2 Day 3

Today I received a text from my mom saying “Have a great day 🙂 Miss you!”. Little did she know that the night before was an odd one and that I was feeling down. She sent this to me at just the right time in the morning as I was beginning some challenging homework. I felt like it was a little tender mercy from the Lord. I’m thankful for His awareness of me and for my mothers thoughtfulness as well as the technology that allows us all to communicate so quickly. I know messenger apps and social networks are not a replacement for all interaction but I do realize the benefits that come from having contact with those close to you at your fingertips and I am grateful for it. Little things like this show me that my Savior loves and cares about me and also that my family does too. I try to do the same thing for my parents and sister occasionally, shooting them a text or as I mentioned earlier, calling them between classes. I can always improve my displays of affection and caring for my family and friends and hope to do so. Challenge: send a text or call a loved one in the next 24 hours! It may be just what they needed or what you needed to rekindle a struggling relationship. You never know. Happy life adventures friends 🙂 Make them good ones

Picture above is of me and my parents and our glowing faces as I was their first kid to graduate. They’re always there for me and have supported me through big events and challenges in my life.