Where It All Started:
Facebook. Well, kind of. If you want to be really specific, my social media use began on Club Penguin, or some other childish platform where I was able to socialize through the wonderous information hub we call the internet. But, for the sake of time and the length of this post, we will start with Facebook.
The first social media account I ever had (without my parents knowing….until they did know) was Facebook. In middle school, I had an account because I thought it was the “cool” thing to do. It seemed like everyone was on Facebook, using ask.fm and other platform-oriented apps to socialize outside of school. Obviously, I wanted in at the time. For me, FB was very short-lived (see:” …until they did know” above), and after my parents made me deactivate my account, I didn’t seek out any more social media until Instagram came around. Also, I can never thank my parents enough for making me delete that FB account, because let’s be honest, sometimes social media can be extremely toxic in those formative years. Even now, I’m not a fan of the platform. Anyway, let’s talk about Instagram.
Insta-who?
Instagram was, for me, the loophole. When I first started using Instagram, I didn’t really understand what it was. I thought it may be a more subtle Facebook without all of the drama or attention. So I made an account.
Throughout high school, my personal Instagram was just a collage of grainy, horribly edited photos that I would come to delete once I entered college. My Instagram feed has certainly grown with me, even without my noticing. Where the grid was once a sight worthy of a headache, now I feel that it reflects a much more sophisticated take on my life. But it isn’t my personal account that I focus on, it’s my photography account @curiouslylem.
I started this account as a foodie account, and that endeavor lasted about 2 weeks until I realized that I could post other things too. Slowly this led me to focus my account on photography in general, and boy was that a good move. I’ve learned so much and interacted with so many communities, and I’m thankful for the opportunities Instagram has offered me.
Other Social Media
Although I have a Twitter and LinkedIn, I haven’t used these platforms much at all. But then again I am a PR major, so eventually, that’s going to change.