In this digital era, everything seems to revolve around social media. In fact, it’s beginning to raise the question of whether or not having a large following plays a positive or negative role in our lives.
On one hand, having a large following can be great because of how it increases the amount of connections you can make with others. For me, social media acts as the perfect outlet to share my life with those who mean the most to me. But, I also feel disconnected to the followers that I’ve never had a personal conversation with and even question at times why I’d want them to view my content if I never speak to them in person.
There is a fine line between allowing former students you attended school with to follow you and having followers who are friends of your friends to view your content. I personally enjoy seeing where my high school class is now and getting to see what milestones they have achieved.
Many students I graduated with have also taken different paths than the typical college route. Without social media, I would have had to rely solely on the grapevine to hear about such life updates, or at least wait until high school reunions to hear about everyone’s life accomplishments.
However, with new advancements in any form of communication there are always pros and cons. For example, if you have tons of followers yet only get a fraction of likes from them, it seems redundant to allow those people to view your content if they aren’t acknowledging your posts.
Katlyn Pruitt | The Montclarion
When people brag about how many likes and followers they have, to me they look foolish being fixated on a number. It’s understandable given the kind of technology we’ve been surrounded with growing up, but trying to grow your following seems like an immature idea to me.
As we get older, I think your friendship circle should become more elite and private. Showing off pictures of more personal and intimate things such as weddings or holiday parties should only be shared with those you value the most.
In addition, I feel that as we grow older it’s important to clean up your social media, especially when applying for jobs. Many employers judge who you are based on your internet and social media footprints and having a smaller following will reduce any chances of being embarrassed by an awkward or uncomfortable photo you may have been tagged in.
Your social media name is your brand and you should be careful about what image you are creating by what your followers and posts say about you.
While having a large following can allow you to make connections with others and help you land an internship or a job, I believe that a large following on Instagram and Facebook should also be reconsidered. Having a more private account will make your posts more meaningful and won’t make your business public to people who don’t need to know about it.
As you move on with your life, it is important to maintain a positive social media brand for yourself. I encourage you to consider your number of followers and question its benefits to your brand.
