Weekly Reflection #1 – My Experience using Social Media
Social Media has been apart of my life for a very long time. I was in elementary school when I started noticing my friends getting phones and iPads and using different forms of social media. After a while I felt like I needed to have it to fit in, I started with instagram and snap chat.
Instagram was a way for me to connect with my friends outside of school. I think I was in grade 6 when I first got a phone and got instagram. I mostly used it to post silly things to the few friends I had on there from school. I remember that my parents were only on board with me getting social media if my account was private and I didn’t let anyone in I didn’t know, social media was relatively new for them too. I still use instagram today and though it has updated and changed a lot it is still just me posting to my friends and a way for me to share pieces of my life to only people I know.
Snapchat was the next social media I started using. It was around the same time I got instagram that my friends had told me to get snapchat. It made it easier for us to connect without having to use the house phone. I remember when I first got snapchat I had 2 of my best friends from school on there and that was it. I also remember snapchat itself was very basic, still the same disappearing snaps after a few seconds and best friend lists. However now its evolving with the use of Bitmojis and snap maps where other friends on the app can see your location. Now I mainly use Snapchat as a way to connect with my friends who don’t live close anymore, many of my friends have moved away for school and life and it is a good way to stay in touch.
I used twitter which is now called X for about one day when I decided I hated it and cold not figure out how to use it. I cant really remember why I disliked it so strongly but some things just aren’t for me.
when I reached middle school the new social media craze centred around music.ly which is now called TikTok. I remember me and my friends would do live streams on music.ly and post funny lip synching videos. I still use TikTok and there are so many ways to consume content on the app I often use it as a replacement for YouTube tutorials that help me navigate issues with sewing and crochet. I have also found it to be a great place to find free patterns for sewing and crochet! I used snapchat, instagram and TikTok through middle and high school up until now.
Now I try to be off social media as much as I can. I have never considered myself to be a technology person I mainly use social media as a way to connect with my friends and family and to research information about my hobbies. Through this course id like to feel more confident in using different types of technologies!!