VLOG! (click the link to watch my vlog)
Creating this vlog came to life through a set of various thoughts and reflections on the place social media holds in my life. Primarily, much of these reflections were rooted in the feeling that I had zero self control over my screentime. Like the existence of my social media accounts held a higher priority over the many other things in my life.
I decided to delete social media as a personal social experiment, and while questions were answered, there were many more that crept into my mind. This journey I discuss in my Substack Blog about my social media cleanse, linked above.
I wanted to further explore what it was exactly about social media that kept me entirely drawn to scrolling for hours every day. Why was the content so deeply intriguing and why could I not look away? Additionally, what exactly are algorithms and what role do they play in this phenomenon?
The more we interact, the more precise the bate becomes, the algorithm amplifies the content that triggers the strongest reaction. That is the catalyst.
Much of what I spent hours consuming was meticulously curated through my own digital footprint, reactions, and engagement, allowing the algorithm to hold my hand and walk towards similar content. Platforms are tracking our every move, feeding us more of the same with every login. It isn’t surprising that a culture so heavily influenced by social media has developed predatory measures to keep us hooked. And, while this will probably never change as we delve deeper into a content-forward landscape, it is important to remain aware.
We could hold high expectations of ourselves to put the phone down and “touch grass” or cleanse our timelines with positive content all day long, but that would do a disservice to ourselves. The problem lies in the systems that are built on preying, staying aware of the ways these systems function is the ultimate justice. Scroll with caution, and swim intentionally.
gabrielle all the time 
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