Selective Storytelling and Social Media

Has anyone else noticed the recent surge of holiday snaps and statuses posted from exotic countries on their social media feeds? Surely I can't be the only one who has been experiencing this. Between the floods of selfies and the classic 'beach leg' photos, the "at ... airport" statuses and the videos of extreme sports, I'm left thinking that maybe my own life is a little bit boring. I suppose all of this shouldn't really come as a surprise, given that it's summer and all that, but at the same time I do question the overall effect that this is having on us, as social media users.

There's no denying that social media has changed the way our generation lead their lives, and I'm not going to condemn that fact. I think that we're extremely privileged to have access to such a powerful tool of communication and expression, and at this point, I can't imagine living my life without it. Nevertheless, there are downsides to social media, risks and flaws which, whilst we probably cannot avoid, we should definitely try to be aware of. For me, one of the most important things to bear in mind is this: social media is a selective storyteller.

When people post their albums on Facebook, they pick their BEST photos- the nicest views, the most fun adventures, the ones where everyone looks good, and happy, and smiling. They don't post the photos from the days it rained, or the day everyone was ill, or miserable. They don't post statuses saying how boring their day was, or how they sat in front of the TV all day and ate fast food (well, ok, I guess SOME people do that).

When people post selfies to Instagram, they don't post the first 3 or 4 failed attempts, where they look stupid or unhappy, or a little fat. They post that 5th attempt, where they looked tanned, and attractive and their smiles look good and their hair looks right.

We tell a selective story on social media- we highlight the best of our lives and we only publish what we want others to see. We don't generally share the times of pain, of sadness or of failure, because they might not be things that we're proud of, and we don't want them to define the way that other people view us. Yet absolutely everyone experiences defeat, unhappiness, awkwardness, shame and loneliness at some point in their lives- no one's life is perfect, even if their social media feeds seem to tell a different story.

I guess what I'm really trying to say here is that you shouldn't judge your own life against what you see of others on the internet. Social media is a lens, and through it we see only a glimpse of other people's lives, a glimpse which tends to highlight the best of somebody, and which ignores a large proportion of the rest of their life. I know from personal experience that browsing through social media can at times make you feel insignificant, boring or maybe even depressed, but these are neither rational nor necessary emotions. Make sure you don't let the limited content you see on social media define the way that you view other people, but perhaps more importantly, make sure don't let it define how you view yourself.

Reality vs. What I chose to post on Instagram:
Bad photos exist too, they just get deleted or are never published to social media...

PS. This was partly inspired by this photo which my friend Arabella posted on Instagram a week ago. Coincidentally you should also DEFINITELY check out her blog which is super interesting and inspiring. Link here.

Exploring London

"When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford."

Samuel Johnson

I like going for spontaneous walks around London. These can range from late night strolls down Charlotte Street to get our fro-yo quick-fix to hour-long treks down to the Natural History Museum in Kensington. Wandering through London is like absolutely nothing else: there always seem to be new places to discover and new things to see, and I don't think I could ever get bored of the feeling that comes associated with it.

I'll admit that I probably spend the majority of my time in my little 'Bloomsbury Bubble'; which consists primarily of my halls, my university and Tottenham Court Road, which is conveniently located half-way between the former two. With much practice, I've now become an expert in crossing main roads without getting run over (it's a skill, honestly) and I can now make the whole journey between halls and Uni in a record timing of about 4 minutes. Undoubtedly the identifying landmark of this area is the BT Tower, which provides the "lights that will guide you home"- very literally, in fact. Coldplay actually met in my halls and it is said that this song lyric references the fact that Ramsay is very conveniently located at the foot of the BT Tower, thus providing a "guiding star" for drunken students coming home at 3am.

If I extend my bubble a little further, it also includes Oxford Street and Regents Park, two places which are both overwhelming in their own ways- the former due to the sheer volume of over-eager shoppers and the latter due to the amount of space that you just don't tend to expect in large cities. Oxford Street has become a definite no-go at week-ends, but for a quick mid week pick me up shopping trip it's very nicely situated only ten minutes from my halls; and Regents Park is very nice when I just need a break from the fast paced and hectic London life. I've played Ultimate Frisbee a few times there as well, which is a lot of fun and which I would definitely recommend if you get the chance.Both places are also rather good for name-dropping, if ever the opportunity arises.

There are many other parts of London that I've grown to love since being here. Soho is great for going out in the evenings and also for ice cream (the best is Amorino's, which, coincidentally, you can also find in Paris)- although do watch out as I did get my iPhone stolen in Soho (a distressing experience which made me realise how dependent we have all become on technology- something to leave for another post, maybe). Camden has also provided us with many fun times, perhaps the most memorable of which involved two of us struggling to walk up the high street with about 6 bags each filled with supplies for our corridor Christmas party. And then there's also Covent Garden, Leicester Square, Chinatown and the South Bank which I have always and will always continue to enjoy.

There are so many more parts of London I could write about, and even more which I've still not had the opportunity to visit yet, but I'm making it my mission, from now, to explore new parts of London at least once a week. I was given a fortune cookie on Chinese New Year, which told me "It's never too late to travel the world". I think that's probably right- think of the film Up (which is such an amazing film, just saying). But the truth is, you don't really need to travel the world to experience new and exciting things. Everything is out there right on your doorstep, it's just a matter of looking for it and taking advantage of it.  Before I experience the world, I want to experience home properly. Which is why, right now, I'm going to find a map of London, drop a pin on it, and go and visit the place that is falls on. 

"By seeing London, I have seen as much of life as the world can show."