Social media isn't bad: you're just using it wrong | Eva Amin | TEDxCherryCreekWomen

Summary

The speaker humorously highlights the paradox of finding an anti-social media post on social media itself, then transitions into a thoughtful discussion on the impact of social media on our perceptions. They advocate for a mindful approach to social media consumption, suggesting four groups to follow for a positive experience: positive acquaintances, goal-aligned individuals, inspirations, and uplifting entertainers. The speaker shares personal success stories from engaging with social media positively, emphasizing the opportunities it can bring when used wisely.

Takeaways

• 😄 The irony of finding a post on social media that criticizes social media, suggesting to save it for later, which is counterintuitive.
• 🤔 The importance of teaching teens how to use social media safely and beneficially, rather than just focusing on the dangers.
• 📚 The realization that social media can have a significant impact on our perception of the world, similar to how children's books teach lessons.
• 🌐 The role of social media as a primary source of learning about the world beyond our immediate surroundings, especially when travel isn't possible.
• 🌈 The idea that the problem with social media isn't the platform itself, but how individuals choose to use it.
• 👥 The recommendation to follow four groups of people on social media: positive friends and family, goal-aligned individuals, inspirations, and positive entertainers.
• 🚀 The personal story of discovering BETA Camp through Instagram and successfully creating a startup, illustrating how social media can offer opportunities.
• 💡 The suggestion that social media platforms curate content based on user interactions and followed accounts, emphasizing the importance of mindful following.
• 📈 The call to action for being conscious of the content we consume and to embrace positivity while avoiding negativity.
• 🛑 A challenge to the common narrative that social media is entirely negative, advocating for education on its proper use instead.
• 📖 The final quote emphasizing that our identity and perspective are shaped by the people we know and the content we engage with.

Q & A

What is the ironic situation described by the speaker when they found a post on Instagram about social media being bad?

The irony is that the speaker found a post on Instagram criticizing social media, which is itself a form of social media, and the post even asked to be saved for later, encouraging further engagement with the platform.

Why does the speaker believe that social media is often perceived as a negative influence?

The speaker believes social media is seen as negative because it is often associated with dangers like catfishing and kidnapping, and there is a lack of education on how to use it safely and beneficially.

What comparison does the speaker make between children's books and social media content?

The speaker compares children's books to social media content by stating that both are means of teaching lessons and shaping perceptions, with social media being a modern extension of the lessons traditionally found in children's literature.

According to the speaker, what is the author of 'The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down' suggesting about the nature of the world?

The author suggests that the world is neither inherently good nor bad; it simply exists, and our perception of it is shaped by our individual experiences.

How does the speaker argue that our social media feeds influence our view of the world?

The speaker argues that if our social media feeds are filled with drama, toxicity, and negative content, we are likely to view the world negatively. Conversely, if our feeds are positive and aligned with our goals, we will view the world more positively.

What is the speaker's personal experience with social media, and how do they describe it?

The speaker describes their personal experience with social media as predominantly positive, with the only scary aspect being their cringe-worthy archived middle school posts. They emphasize that their social media is a positive and uplifting place.

What are the four groups of people the speaker suggests we should follow on social media?

The four groups are: 1) Friends, family, and positive acquaintances; 2) People who align with your goals; 3) People who inspire you; and 4) Entertainers who provide positive entertainment.

How did the speaker's social media usage align with their goal of creating a business, and what opportunities did it bring them?

The speaker followed people who had started their own businesses and provided financial or investing advice. This alignment led to an opportunity to participate in BETA Camp, where they created a revenue-generating startup, and later a fellowship offering additional classes.

What is the speaker's advice on how to make social media a more positive and beneficial tool in our lives?

The speaker advises being mindful of the content we consume, welcoming positivity, blocking negativity, and educating others on the dangers while encouraging positive use of social media.

What is the modified quote the speaker uses to summarize their talk, and what does it imply about the influence of social media?

The modified quote is: 'Nothing of me is original. I’m a combined effort of everyone I’ve ever known, and the content I’ve surrounded myself with.' It implies that our identities and perspectives are shaped by the people we know and the content we engage with on social media.

Outlines

00:00

😄 The Irony of Social Media Warnings

The speaker starts by humorously pointing out the irony of finding a post on social media that warns about the dangers of social media itself, which encourages users to save the post for later, thus contradicting the message. They then discuss the common narrative that social media is harmful, especially in high school safety assemblies, where the focus is on the risks without teaching students how to use it safely and beneficially. The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding social media's impact and learning from it, drawing a parallel to how children's books teach life lessons subtly.

05:01

🌟 Harnessing Social Media's Positive Potential

Continuing the discussion, the speaker reflects on the book 'The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down,' which suggests that the world is neither inherently good nor bad, and our perception is shaped by our experiences. They argue that social media can be a window to the world beyond our immediate surroundings, and it should be used positively. The speaker shares their personal social media experience, highlighting the importance of curating one's feed with four types of people: positive friends and family, those who align with personal goals, inspirational figures, and positive entertainers. They also share a personal success story of discovering and participating in a startup program through social media, which led to further opportunities and learning experiences.

Keywords

💡Social Media

Social media refers to digital platforms that allow users to create and share content or participate in social networking. In the context of the video, it is portrayed as a double-edged sword, highlighting both its potential negative impacts and its positive uses. The speaker uses the irony of finding a post about social media's harmful effects on a social media platform itself to emphasize the point.

💡Safety Assembly

A safety assembly is a gathering, typically in schools, where safety measures and precautions are discussed. In the video, it is mentioned as an example of how schools warn students about the dangers of social media, such as the risk of being catfished or kidnapped, but not how to use it safely and beneficially.

💡Catfishing

Catfishing is the act of creating a false identity to deceive others, often online. The term is used in the video to illustrate one of the potential dangers of social media, where people might pretend to be someone they are not to manipulate or exploit others.

💡Perception

Perception is the process of interpreting and organizing sensory information to give meaning to the environment. The video discusses how one's social media feed, filled with either positive or negative content, can shape one's perception of the world, making it seem more positive or negative.

💡Toxicity

Toxicity in the context of the video refers to the harmful effects of negative content or interactions on social media. The speaker argues that the problem with social media is not the platform itself, but the choice of content one exposes themselves to, which can include toxic elements that affect one's mental well-being.

💡Goals

Goals are the objectives or targets that an individual aims to achieve. The video suggests that following people who align with one's goals on social media can be beneficial, as it provides inspiration, advice, and a sense of direction towards achieving those goals.

💡Inspiration

Inspiration is the process of being motivated or influenced by someone or something. The speaker mentions that following people who inspire you on social media can be uplifting, even if they are not directly related to one's current goals, as they can still provide motivation and a positive influence.

💡Entertainment

Entertainment refers to activities that hold the attention and interest of an audience, providing enjoyment and relaxation. The video acknowledges social media as a platform for entertainment but advises being mindful of the type of entertainment one consumes, suggesting that it should be positive and self-affirming.

💡BETA Camp

BETA Camp is mentioned in the video as a program that the speaker participated in, which aimed to challenge teens to create a revenue-generating startup with the help of business mentors. It serves as an example of how social media can provide opportunities that align with one's goals and interests.

💡Fellowship

A fellowship is a position or program that offers opportunities for learning, working, or researching in a particular field. In the video, the speaker was offered a fellowship after participating in BETA Camp, which allowed them to continue their entrepreneurial journey and take additional classes related to their goals.

💡Algorithm

An algorithm, in the context of social media, refers to the set of rules that determine the content displayed on a user's feed based on their interactions and the people they follow. The video explains how following positive and goal-aligned individuals can influence the type of content one sees, thus shaping one's experience on social media.

Highlights

The irony of encountering a post about social media being bad while browsing Instagram.

The humorous contradiction of being told to save a post on social media to remind oneself to avoid social media.

The common perception of social media as a negative influence, especially in high school safety assemblies.

The lack of education on how to use social media safely and beneficially.

The realization of the true impact of social media on individuals, inspired by a discussion on children's books.

The comparison between the lessons learned from children's books and the content we choose to consume on social media.

The idea that the world is neither inherently good nor bad, but our perception is shaped by our experiences.

The limited interaction with the world outside our immediate environment and the role of social media in expanding our perspective.

The influence of social media content on one's view of the world, either negative or positive.

The assertion that the problem lies not with social media itself, but with how individuals choose to use it.

The personal anecdote of finding archived posts from middle school on Instagram to be the 'scary' part of social media.

The four groups of people one should follow on social media for a positive and goal-aligned experience.

The importance of following friends, family, and positive acquaintances to avoid toxic energy.

The strategy of following people who align with one's goals to learn from their experiences.

The role of following inspiring individuals, even if they no longer align with one's current goals.

The mindful consumption of entertainment on social media, focusing on content that makes one feel good.

The story of discovering and participating in BETA Camp, a program that led to creating a revenue-generating startup.

The call to action for being mindful of the content consumed on social media and promoting its positive use.

The final message emphasizing the influence of the people we know and the content we surround ourselves with on our identity.

Transcripts

Transcriber: Phan Thanh Hang Reviewer: Zsófia Herczeg

The other day, I was scrolling through Instagram,

and I come across this post that says social media is bad.

So I think to myself,

Hmm, I’m looking at a post about how posts are bad.

(Laughter)

Oh, but that's not even the best part.

The best part is I click on it, and the caption says,

“Save this for later as a reminder.”

So basically, they want me to get off social media

but to get back on so I can reread

why I shouldn’t have been on in the first place.

(Laughter)

This got me thinking,

and I realized that it’s so often taught that social media is this horrible thing.

In fact, at the beginning of each school year,

most high school students are sat in a safety assembly.

And part of the safety assembly talks about safety on social media.

They tell you how you’re going to get catfished or kidnapped.

But they stop there.

They don’t tell you how you can use it in a safe and beneficial way.

And unfortunately, those are very real things

and do happen way more than it should.

But the way to stop that is to teach teens how to use it in a beneficial way.

You know, I think a lot of people don’t realize the true impact

that social media has on us.

In fact, I didn’t realize the true impact

until one day my English teacher, she said,

“Class, what is the purpose of children’s books?”

So I thought to myself,

OK. Well, there’s multiple different reasons for children’s books.

But one of the biggest ones is to teach children lessons

without them realizing that they’re learning.

Looking back, I learned not to take food from strangers

because Snow White ate a poisonous apple.

See, back then, it was children’s books.

But it’s no longer just children’s books.

It’s all the content we’re choosing to surround ourselves with:

TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, all of it.

I’m currently reading this book.

It’s called “The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down.”

And the author of this book, they say

the world is neither good nor bad.

It’s just there.

And the way we perceive the world is based on our individual experiences.

So let’s think about that from a social media standpoint.

There are 7 billion people in this world.

And in our day-to-day lives, we don’t even interact with 1% -

in fact, it’s far less than 1%.

So the way we learn about life outside of just our little bubble

is do things like traveling.

But unfortunately, we can’t always be traveling.

So another primary way we do this is through social media.

Therefore, if your social media is filled with drama, toxicity

and things that make you feel bad about yourself,

naturally, you’re going to view the world as more of a negative place.

Whereas, if your social media is filled with positivity

and things that align with your goals,

you're going to view the world as more of a positive place.

See, the problem isn't social media.

The problem is how you’re choosing to use it.

I hear a lot of stories about people

having these bad experiences on social media,

and I’ve had social media for a while now.

And honestly, the only scary thing on my Instagram

is when I look at my archived posts

and see what I used to post in middle school.

(Laughter)

But other than that, it’s been a pretty positive experience.

So what’s my secret?

How do I keep my social media this positive, uplifting place?

Well, there's four groups of people you should be following.

The first: friends, family and positive acquaintances.

Now, I truly mean positive, because so often I’ll hear someone say,

“I don’t like this person. They’re so mean to me.”

But then, you’ll go on their Instagram and guess who they’re following -

that person who’s so mean to them.

Why surround yourself with that toxic energy

if you have the choice to simply not?

The second group:

people who align with your goals.

Now for me, my future goal is to create my own business one day

so the types of people I follow

are people who have started their own businesses.

People who give financial advice or investing advice

or just business in general.

Because the easiest way to achieve your goal

is to ask someone or watch someone who’s already done it.

The third group: people who inspire you.

Now, this is different from people who align with your goals.

I was a gymnast off and on for about 12 years.

I wanted to go to the Olympics.

I truly thought I was going to go to the Olympics.

In fact, I used to write “Dear Future Me’s” to myself,

and I was reading them a few weeks ago, and all of them started with:

“Dear Future Me, are you in the Olympics yet?”

Unfortunately not.

But my point is, at the time, going to the Olympics was my goal.

So the types of people I would follow

were people like Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, Gabby Douglas.

However, going to the Olympics is no longer my goal.

Yet, I never unfollowed those people because they still inspire me.

The fourth group:

entertainers.

Now, of course, social media is an entertainment platform.

And I'm not telling you not to use it as one.

I’m just telling you to be mindful

of the types of entertainment you’re consuming.

A great example of positive entertainment are your favorite artists,

people like Shawn Mendes, Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift, whoever it may be.

As long as what they’re posting makes you feel good about yourself.

See when you start to categorize your following into these four groups,

not only are you going to be happier,

but opportunities are also going to start to come to you.

Back in May, I came across this ad on Instagram.

It was for this program called BETA Camp.

And BETA Camp advertised themself to be the six-week program

where they challenge teens to create a revenue-generating startup

with the help of business mentors.

Now, this sounded perfect for me,

but of course, at first, I was skeptical,

as you should be with ads you see on social media

because a lot of the time they’re going to be fake.

But I was safe about it.

I looked at their Instagram;

I looked at their website and turns out it was real.

And I successfully created a revenue-generating startup

in just six weeks.

Now, was it good?

Absolutely not.

(Laughter)

Did I make money? Yes.

So I’d call that a win.

But through that program,

I was then offered a fellowship to continue this journey

throughout the school year.

Through that fellowship, I was able to take two additional classes:

one about creating a platform and one about investing.

So my point is,

just because my social media reflects my goals,

I was given opportunities that align with those goals.

Now, how does this work?

Well, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, whatever it may be,

all these social medias love making money.

How do they do this?

They put things on your feed based on what you’ve interacted with in the past

or based on the people you follow.

So follow positive people, follow people who align with your goals.

Now, before you all leave today I have two asks.

My first ask is to start being mindful of the types of content you’re consuming.

Start welcoming the positivity and blocking out the negativity.

And my second ask:

Stop participating in spreading this idea that social media is this horrible thing.

Instead, educate on the dangers

while encouraging people to use it in a positive way.

Now, I've said a lot today.

So to sum up everything I've said,

I’ll leave you all with one of my favorite quotes.

It goes a little like this:

“Nothing of me is original.

I’m a combined effort of everyone I’ve ever known.”

Now, that's a beautiful quote, but I'd like to add on to it.

I’d like to say,

Nothing of me is original.

I’m a combined effort of everyone I’ve ever known

and the content I’ve surrounded myself with.

Thank you.

(Applause) (Cheering)