Entry #5 To like or not to like?

Subscribe, drop a comment, like this post, are all common phrases in the modern social media world. They represent the social currency of the digital world. One of the main aspects of attaining this social wealth and popularity is through the almighty selfie.

I will admit I take selfies. Step 1 to recovery right, admit you have a problem? I can remember a time where I was upset with my friends who had all gotten together to take a night out on the town filled with clubs and copious amounts of liquor. Sadly as they were posting status updates and garnering likes from our social groups I was cooped up working a night shift by myself in a tiny little lab.

So I did what any self-respecting adult would do. I engaged in a selfie war.  I was Combating their obviously fun time out, with my own equally amusing night surrounded by machines. See at the left:

Today teens and even adults are very concerned about their digital image. People want to look good in public right? I'm not going to wear my Walmart clothes on my blog so to speak.

There is also the struggle to garner likes. Teens want likes immediately and strive to collect so many within certain timeframes.

For example, my cousin, who is 15, has developed her own set of codes to communicate with her friends. Reading her text messages was almost impossible as it consisted of about 98% emoji content and very little words.

Should I be worried if her friend says 'hey, puppy dog, chicken leg, heart, sunshine, smiley face, soccer ball.'


In addition to her bizarre text conversations I also asked her about social media and likes verses comments on her selfies. She seemed to share similar opinions with the guests on the podcast This American Life episode titled Status Update.

Likes were very important and the more you had the more well liked you were considered. She agreed that she really only preferred comments from friends and that close friends really had an obligation to comment. If they did not comment it could be interpreted as the other party being upset with the person posting.

I don't personally have those kind of rules with my friends. Although the night of our little selfie war we determined the winner by the number of likes and by the comments ensuing on our private chat room.

There is definitely a focus on staying relevant and building relationships in the digital space. Whether this is good or bad for society and todays youth I am unsure. I do believe that these interactions help to build confidence and develop social tact and skills. However, I do recognize that the opposite, depression and lowering of self-esteem, have been reported as well.

Regardless, I think that social media and the internet are here to stay and despite opposition and nostalgic dreams of the 'good ole days,' there is a real need to stay current and be informed. By staying informed and educated of the tools these kids use to communicate, society can also become better communicators, working within these systems to reach teens and wider audiences.