Social media has become an integral part of our lives, influencing many aspects of our daily routines. Everywhere we look, people are engrossed in their phones, consuming content from their screens. This pervasive nature of social media has led some to believe that society is addicted to it.
The major social media platforms currently include Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, TikTok, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, and Snapchat. Facebook stands out as the largest platform, with nearly 3 billion monthly users. These platforms offer a wide range of information and advertisements from numerous sources, some legitimate and others not so much. For many individuals, these platforms serve to help them share their personal experiences and information.
Facebook, Instagram and YouTube are my most used social media platforms. My favourite is Facebook. With it, I enjoy staying current with Canadian news, keeping up with friends, and sharing my photos. I use Instagram primarily for posting my pictures. I’ve set it up to automatically send those images to Facebook.
YouTube is my tool for researching photographic ideas and equipment. There are many photographers on YouTube who create very informative videos. Most of the videos I focus on highlight landscape photography, composition, general photographic techniques and the digital darkroom. One of my favourite YouTubers is Nigel Danson, a British photographer. And I love watching travel videos with destinations that Ellen and I might enjoy in the future.
Social media, particularly the three platforms I use, can be incredibly frustrating. I’m constantly bombarded with content I don’t want to see, including ads, posts, and political content that doesn’t align with my interests. If I show any interest in a particular topic or ad, I end up seeing more of the same. This is especially noticeable on Facebook.
To combat the unwanted content on my Facebook page, I’ve taken an active approach to managing it. I regularly review the content I receive and delete posts that don’t interest me. Initially, this was a tedious task, but I persevered. Over time, I’ve noticed that the posts and ads I don’t want to see are gradually disappearing from my feed. Now, it’s just a matter of maintaining this process. If I’m not consistent, those unwanted posts will inevitably creep back in.
So, is social media a friend or a foe? Personally, I think it’s all about how you use it. It’s a friend if you choose to see it that way.
It’s been a while since I last posted! I haven’t been writing much or snapping photos like I used to. Maybe golf season has been a distraction, but honestly, I haven’t found much that sparks my interest around home lately. But, our upcoming trip to Europe is going to totally change that!
With that in mind, I’ve dug through my image catalogue to find some images for this blog post. The photos I picked were taken about 15 years ago on Vancouver Island’s west coast, near Port Renfrew and Tofino.
