creation vs. consumption of social media

welcome to introspection ft. harsehaj! ⭐️ i’m harsehaj, a 19 y/o always up to something in social good x tech.

this publication is a place for me to reflect on productivity, health and tech, and drop unique opportunities in the space right to your inbox daily. if you’re new here, sign up to tune in! 💌 

btw, feel free to reply with topic ideas you want me to write about for future posts.

onto today’s topic: creation vs. consumption of social media 📱 

despite my (unfortunately) high screen time on both instagram and tiktok, i don’t actually consume much social media. most of my time is spent creating content or talking to friends.

consuming social media is harmful without control and a strong sense of self. i’m not just talking about succumbing to doom scrolling, this also pertains to being able to control the kind of content you entertain alongside using your own reason and rationalization so as to not be easily influenceable.

noticing your own negative patterns with content consumption is crucial to actually making the best use out of the great things that social media has to offer. i’ve deleted linkedin & twitter from my phone, restricted myself from scrolling on instagram (i only check stories, send dms & create my own content), and am working on reducing my tiktok doomscrolling. 🤳 

algorithms aren’t just showing you what you want to see. they’re prescribing content that trap you in insecurity, addiction, and unhealthy rabbit holes. don’t hesitate to use the “don’t show me content like this” button, even though it sometimes feels like it does nothing.

now, i love social media when i’m on the producer end. i thrive in being able to share my own knowledge and the opportunities i come across, sparking conversation, and simply bringing my camera’s lens to more eyes. i’ve made so many friends just from posting stories or tiktoks that resonate with others, and i am always in awe at the potential to connect with someone on the other side of the globe. 🌎️ if i can educate others, learn about social issues in their most real form, and highlight the world’s beauty, of course i’ll take the reigns and hit publish.

the key to healthy creation & consumption of social media is honestly just a strong sense of self — both the ability to not be easily swayed, and seek validation from posting on the internet. consume for entertainment and learning. create for a love of entertaining and educating. (:

daily opportunity + resource drops 🔍️