My Digital Literacy Narrative
Facebook: What's Not to "Like"?
Let's travel back in time a little. It's 2009: we've got "Imma Let You Finnish", Up just premiered, Modern Family, Breaking Bad and Glee were the hot new shows. It's also the year I got my first Facebook account.
Mom: "Whatever you post online is up there for good."
Me: "Yeah, I know mom...I'm not going to post anything stupid."
Mom: "And don't share your address or phone number."
Me: "Mom, why would I do that?"
Mom: "I"m just reminding you to be careful, okay?"
Me: "You know that I will."
***Insert eye roll**
Me: "Yeah, I know mom...I'm not going to post anything stupid."
Mom: "And don't share your address or phone number."
Me: "Mom, why would I do that?"
Mom: "I"m just reminding you to be careful, okay?"
Me: "You know that I will."
***Insert eye roll**
13 Year Old Natalie:
First things first, friend everyone in my class, then I’ll find mutual friends through them. Wait no! I need a profile picture. Does this one make me look weird? Okay, now I need quotes that describe me. I want my friends to see my cool page before I add them. Oooh maybe I’ll even, “Poke” Dan, I always thought he was cute...
Now Middle school was never easy....
I went to Holy Innocents School and while I had some really good friends, I felt like the world was always watching me.
First things first, friend everyone in my class, then I’ll find mutual friends through them. Wait no! I need a profile picture. Does this one make me look weird? Okay, now I need quotes that describe me. I want my friends to see my cool page before I add them. Oooh maybe I’ll even, “Poke” Dan, I always thought he was cute...
Now Middle school was never easy....
I went to Holy Innocents School and while I had some really good friends, I felt like the world was always watching me.
Well of course the world wasn't watching me, but my kryptonite seemed to be that liking system on Facebook.
On a cold February afternoon, my best friend Katherine and I were taking pictures in her basement. We wanted to upload a few to Facebook.
"Let's take one in the mirror now!"
"Oooh, I should make this my profile picture on Facebook!"
That's when I only got... 1 like...
On a cold February afternoon, my best friend Katherine and I were taking pictures in her basement. We wanted to upload a few to Facebook.
"Let's take one in the mirror now!"
"Oooh, I should make this my profile picture on Facebook!"
That's when I only got... 1 like...
I couldn't seem to shake the idea out of my head. Ashley got 12 when she posted pictures, Alyssa always made it to the teens. Even if I had gotten 5 or 6, I would have been happy. But this was humiliating. The whole grade must know...
Later that night as I went to bed, I couldn’t help but check Facebook one last time.
I was checking into Facebook jail, and I couldn't get out.
“Get to bed, Nat” my mother kissed the top of my forehead. I left the social media world and entered the dream realm....or so I thought.
Later that night as I went to bed, I couldn’t help but check Facebook one last time.
I was checking into Facebook jail, and I couldn't get out.
“Get to bed, Nat” my mother kissed the top of my forehead. I left the social media world and entered the dream realm....or so I thought.
“Hey, are you even listening to me?”
What's going on........
"I said, what number is on my forehead?"
There was a number 12.
“Thanks...I don’t know if you wanna know yours” he said..
People began to look at me, laugh at me....
**heart rate increasing**
YOU ONLY GOT 1 LIKE?!?
"Go sit with the losers over there." Ashley sneered at me
**beads of sweat forming**
Everybody, look at these guys! They got 1 like on Facebook!
***I need to get out of here.....***
What's going on........
"I said, what number is on my forehead?"
There was a number 12.
“Thanks...I don’t know if you wanna know yours” he said..
People began to look at me, laugh at me....
**heart rate increasing**
YOU ONLY GOT 1 LIKE?!?
"Go sit with the losers over there." Ashley sneered at me
**beads of sweat forming**
Everybody, look at these guys! They got 1 like on Facebook!
***I need to get out of here.....***
Thank god it was just a dream....
This whole Facebook, social media thing was really starting to control me. But it's not like I was the only person in the world affected by this. This Ted Talk explains how we are becoming cyborgs....letting the technology around us control our lives, and if we continue to let it do so, what will become of the human race?
Regardless, I walked into school the next day feeling like I was the lowest of the low. I was unpopular, and everyone in my mind knew about how uncool I was on Facebook. But I was still hungry for likes....
Regardless, I walked into school the next day feeling like I was the lowest of the low. I was unpopular, and everyone in my mind knew about how uncool I was on Facebook. But I was still hungry for likes....
A few days later, Katherine and I visited the Avon beach, one of our favorite places to be.
"Let's Take One and put it on Facebook," Kat said.
I don't want her to think I'm too worried that I won't get enough likes.....but I'm hungry to try again for more.
"Okay, can you take one of me by the swings?"
"Let's Take One and put it on Facebook," Kat said.
I don't want her to think I'm too worried that I won't get enough likes.....but I'm hungry to try again for more.
"Okay, can you take one of me by the swings?"
As soon as I uploaded the picture, I waited and waited for people to notice it, like it.
1 from Katherine.
But
That
Was
It.
People must think I'm weird or....
Wait.
1 from Katherine.
But
That
Was
It.
People must think I'm weird or....
Wait.
Maybe it wasn’t a number in a stack of likes that I depended on, but it was the most genuine thing I had seen on Facebook since I had made one. That one comment did not wipe out all of my insecurities about what I posted...but it made me feel really good about myself. <3
Flash Forward Eight Years Later:
So here I am now: I just got 50 likes on a Facebook status I wrote about passing the Praxis, and of course I feel great about it. But I still always check for those likes, like a zombie, like a cyborg or something...
So here's to realizing that it honestly doesn't matter. Enjoy life OUTSIDE of the social media realm, because that's where we're meant to live.
Flash Forward Eight Years Later:
So here I am now: I just got 50 likes on a Facebook status I wrote about passing the Praxis, and of course I feel great about it. But I still always check for those likes, like a zombie, like a cyborg or something...
So here's to realizing that it honestly doesn't matter. Enjoy life OUTSIDE of the social media realm, because that's where we're meant to live.