As the ban of TikTok in the U.S. approaches closer, the change has made me reflect about my time on social media. Since seventh grade, in the palm of my hand I have had access to people far beyond my everyday circle. The grand scale of social media, including quick get ready with me videos and long form content, I have been able to see so much more than I would have than just existing in my physical life. Although I hate the click baiting Instagram reels on my explore page, the negative comments, and the parasocial relationships, I think there are a lot of positives to the apps. They offer inspiration, an outlet, and the chance for people to find an audience. Hearing the discussion around posting and how permanent your social media footprint is, it’s hard to forget it’s all temporary. However, at some point– whether forced or by choice– I will have to log off. My reflections have led me to rank my social media, on a scale from one to ten, by how upset I would be if I was no longer able to access the app.
Spotify – 10/10
It’s disputable if Spotify is a social media app, however when I googled social media apps, it came up. If I could only use my phone for one thing, it would be to listen to music. I go through my entire day while listening to music. Studying, living, and sleeping to music last year accumulated to listening for 204,866 minutes. There are so many genres of music and artists that I love and discover every year, and I can’t imagine not being able to have an app that holds all of it. Prior to having Spotify, I had limited music downloaded on Apple Music, and for anything else I had to go on YouTube and search for the song I wanted to listen to. Now being able to create playlists– arguably the social aspect of the app– and see the playlists my friends make allows me to further develop my music tastes. The convenience of Spotify and the fact that it’s entirely music based would cause me to mourn its loss the most out of any social media app.Â
YouTube – 9/10
I enjoy watching long form content way more than short form. Although TikTok is fun because I get a limitless amount of videos, there is something grounding in sitting down to watch a 10 minute to an hour long video. My middle school years were spent watching Emma Chamberlain, Tana Mongeau, Architectural Digest House Tours, and everything in between. TikTok has given many users a platform, but with the ban becoming more real every day, I’ve seen a lot of users shift to posting on YouTube. I think that despite the platform being known for holding longer videos, I’ve seen creators who have been around for a few years shifting to shorter videos. Hannah Meloche in particular has made a pattern of creating 7-10 minute videos that capture fun weekends or her daily vlogs. Losing the platform would be upsetting because although people are limited in what they can say with the threat being shadowbanned, it does provide an outlet for users to post a wide range of content.
Pinterest – 9/10
I love Pinterest. There is nothing more enjoyable than creating a board and spending years curating the images in it. There is an endless amount of images, and what is nice about it– prior to them now putting an excessive amount of hidden ads– is that there is no sound. In my free time, I put on my Spotify and sort Pinterest pins until I get sick of it. More realistically I have an obligation to do something else rather than voluntarily stopping my sorting. The app has a way to post, however I don’t think that in order to have fun on the app you have to post your own pins. Through creating boards, it’s similar to Spotify in that you can create specific spaces to hold a vibe or collection.
Instagram – 8/10
Instagram can be hit or miss. In contrast to Youtube, on Instagram I actually post. YouTube is a form of social media where I watch others and don’t put myself out there. Instagram is where I do both. I love to spend time creating a fun post that captures a period of time or something I love and seeing it next to my other posts. Despite the fact that I find joy in posting, there is something I hate about having no control over my feed. My explorer page can shift with me liking one video, whereas if on Pinterest if I save a pin that doesn’t match my routine, it won’t completely offset my feed.Â
VSCO – 8/10
VSCO is an easy way to share a wider range of pictures that might not make it to Instagram. Although a lot of people have second accounts, VSCO is something I use to share photos that could have also been a cover photo or didn’t fit into a post. Although you can repost images, the same as you can on TikTok, that is the only way outside users know if you interact with a post. There is no way to see who likes an image except for if you are the user who posted it. The anonymity of the app and only being able to see people reposting what they like is what makes it enjoyable. I believe that sometimes people correlate being liked with the number of likes they get on a post. I think that the freedom to post anything and not being able to compare like counts is a positive attribute of the app.
TikTok – 7/10
The TikTok ban is sad and the videos are fun, but it is such a time suck. Seeing people bring back trends from the early years of the app have been exciting and nostalgic, but there is so much that happens on the app. It’s easy to be mindful when you first open the app and watch one video, but you can suddenly be deep in random drama or dance videos an hour later. Just going to the first few classes I have this semester, I can already see the ban being helpful. However, because it has allowed so many people to gain an audience that they may have been deserving of, it’s upsetting to see the damage it could have on people’s careers.
LinkedIn – 5/10
LinkedIn is fun to use because it allows people to network and get jobs. I don’t really have a use for it, but it’s nice to spend time organizing my profile. What I do like about the app is seeing what people are accomplishing. The platform inspires posting content that I don’t think is necessarily often highlighted on other social media. Through sharing job and academic success that aids in building a resume, the app is a smart way to make a resume that can be interacted with.Â
Snapchat – 4/10
I only really use Snapchat because I can stay in touch with people. When I was in high school I loved the filters and its convenience of being able to send people selfies, but now I don’t really use it. However because of the ease of using it, it would be upsetting to lose it.
Although it is fun to see what people are up to and share your own pictures, it’s important to remember that you are more than your social media presence. It’s easy to get on any app and post pictures, achievements, or anything in between. A lot of pressure comes with being able to see what other people are doing, but it’s important to remember that before and now, there is a life beyond your phone. Going to a fun class, trying a new coffee shop, or picking up a book can be just as rewarding as posting a picture you are proud of. Time is limited, but it can be worth it to spend some hours on social media, even if it could all disappear tomorrow.