All the least and most important information: my feelings about social media, and my new writing accounts
Recently, in a move initially prompted by my wise teenage daughter, Nora, I decided to create a new Instagram account dedicated to my writing. I had some questions - for instance, how is a platform known for images useful for promoting words? - but I decided to bite the bullet and go for it. This is something I’m attempting to do more of lately: ditch the thinking and do it.
I’ve been wresting with the idea of sharing what I write more widely for some time now. I generally do share posts on my personal social media accounts, and I always feel conflicted about it. This is silly, maybe. But it’s a genuine feeling for me, wrapped up in ethical quandaries beyond the normal complaints about the platforms stealing our attention and time. Like, is it ok to share my writing on Facebook if I’m not consuming other people’s writing in a regular manner on Facebook? And, should we be using social media at all, really?
This is not a fresh take, that social media isn’t, you know, the best. I’m certainly not an expert, but I’ve read plenty of expert takes: on how social media makes us feel badly, have FOMO and experience less of the actual real life everybody is trying to document.
And, despite the fact that I consider myself a fairly sane and measured user, I’m prone to all of it. Getting in bed to read a book I’m super into, but then checking my phone one last time and accidentally watching like 25 minutes of influencer videos about the only summer pants you’ll ever need. Very upsetting!
This, despite the fact that I know all the tips and tricks, including keeping one’s phone’s outside of one’s bedroom at night. I take regular breaks from social media where I delete the apps and don’t check in for weeks. The minute I can’t see it, I don’t even think about it.
On the flip side, I know that, for many, social media is a wonderful way to connect and feel connected, share updates with loved ones, get involved with politics and watch funny dog videos, especially this one. I’ve undoubtedly had those positive experiences, too, especially when I’m actually engaging, rather than mindlessly scrolling. The truth is that social media is an excellent way to share yearly first-day-of-school photos with my extended family, and that it’s absolutely the most efficient way to share the kind of blog posts I write, which don’t make much sense without you all on the other end. I write because I love the connection.
What Nora, and other people who know what they’re talking about, have suggested, is that by sharing my writing through social media accounts open to people beyond the trusted and loving audience of my actual friend group, 20 years after starting this blog btw, I would probably get a few more readers. This floods me with concern that I’ll come across as pompous, annoying. To think that additional people would want to read this! And how irked will everyone be if I post something new to - god forbid - both my personal, and writing-focused accounts, causing them to see it without asking for it, even, not once, but TWICE?
I think the only response to everything I’ve written here is: I’ve got to calm down.
I’ve got to calm down! There’s no right answer to my complicated web of feelings about all of this. Just go for it, says my summer-goals self. Stop asking J, when he’s happily scrolling, why he doesn’t feel the weight of humanity on his shoulders with each passing photo? Or morally paralyzed by the discovery that a childhood acquaintance’s hairdresser’s grandmother has died. Do you post your condolences? Do you???
And he’s like, um, no. I’m just here for the videos of people’s garage bars and strangers’ book reviews.
Let’s see what happens! You can follow my new writing accounts on Instagram - @caramcdunawrites - and on Facebook here. You can also subscribe to get regular, old-fashioned newsletter updates at the bottom of this page.