NROP: Why Social Media is Bad for You and Even Worse for Celebrities.

Most bloggers I follow published some sort of “End of 2020” and “Beginning of 2021” posts. If you have been here for a while, you know I do not do these. Yes, it is in my practice to post “The End of XYZA” (and you can check out the latest, 4th edition HERE), but it is vastly different from the regular “look back.” Even before the pandemic that emerged last year, I shared with you that New Year’s Resolutions (NYR) just are not my thing. (Like clockwork, the gym is bursting at its seams, making me want to stop working out there until about February when most people will drop their NYR.) I thought of coming up with a new and improved schedule for this blog and announcing it to all of you, but the truth is that the year of 2021 does not seem certain to me. And I do not mean to be fatalistic; it is just the way my life is – quite a few unknowns, certain things might change, and who knows what chain reactions those will cause. Therefore, I dive into a regular NROP, without any introductory posts. However, I do want to wish you a Happy New Year. Cheers!

***

Last weekend was nice, because it lasted longer than two days. In fact, I had Friday AND Thursday off, which allowed me to properly relax, as well as take care of a few chores. The perfect balance. But now, we are done with the Holiday season (especially because the Christmas season is officially over as of January 10th), and we embark on a journey of no days off until Memorial Day (end of May). Normally, by mid February, I start going stir crazy and have to plan some sort of a get-away. In today’s day and age, I am not sure what will happen…

I was born an explorer. Well, I actually do not know. Is curiosity and love for travel something that comes from nature or nurture? From observation, I know that kids like to visit every corner of the house, climb up on top of cabinets, taste the grossest of things, etc. This leads me to believe that we are born this way. However, I am also not blind to the influence nurture has on us. My parents definitely liked travelling and seeing new things, and they passed it onto me. In some of my past blogs, I had said how I cannot imagine dying in the same town in which you lived your whole life. Although it sounds rather sad to me, I am aware of different circumstances that people face that either prevent them from travelling or make other parts of the world seem unattractive.

“What would you like to do?” my partner asked me over the weekend.

The only thing that came to mind was: “To go places.” But that is easier said than done. There were a few places in town we used to frequent that closed permanently as a result of the coronavirus. It really bummed us out. Yes, we like to take walks, but we will soon run out of parks nearby and I am not the biggest fan of strolling on the side of a highway. Going out of town is not something I really entertain because it is disappointing to go somewhere only to find out that many places are currently closed. We stayed the night at a hotel a couple of weeks ago, where we discovered a tiny spec of blood on the bed-sheets. At the front desk, I was told that due to the pandemic, housekeeping was not available. I did not need them to change the sheets. We did it ourselves, but how is not having housekeeping on standby a good thing? I imagine many weird things happen that require bigger cleanups.

Where does social media come into play? These platforms reveal our “transgressions.”

More: The beautiful, the stupid, and the dangerous.

This time around, some celebrities are in hot water over touring the world despite the pandemic. It was reported that Amy Schumer visited Saint Barthélemy, but she left out the date and location of a photo she posted, giving her plausible deniability. It is worth noting that back in May of last year, she said that traveling was dangerous and it was best to stay put. Not going anywhere for two months seems doable. Not going anywhere for a year or more? That is harder to accomplish. I get that.

Chrissy Teigen posted A LOT of photos from her family’s vacation to St. Barth’s, causing an outrage. What made people mad was the fact that she talked about planes in the photo description. People called her “tone deaf.” (“Tone deaf” is a topic for another time.) It looks like we cannot talk about our hopes, dreams, or passions anymore. The virus and the toilet paper are the only approved topics.

Of course, the Kardashians went places, too. For Christmas, they were at Lake Tahoe, while they spent their NYE in Aspen.

Others, like Dua Lipa, Bella Hadid, Dakota Johnson, and Chris Martin vacationed out of town, but did not post ANYTHING on their social media. That is why we have the paparazzi – to keep an eye on them when we cannot.

What does that all mean?

1. People do things that they are told they cannot do.
2. People brag about the things they do, even if they should not.
3. We are NOT all equal and never will be if we give others so much power.

To me, it is funny to see all the backlash; people complaining about the fact that celebrities are not acting the same way as we – average citizens. “Why do you think that is?” I want to ask them? “It is because of you that they have all that power and status. You have emboldened them to do whatever THEY want. Are you really surprised that they take private jets to travel during the pandemic after they campaign for cleaner air and “stay-at-home” orders? People are all for something until it affects them. Then, they reevaluate and often end up bending the rules that they themselves helped establish.

In response to the negative feedback, Chrissy Teigen posted that she is done explaining anything to those who visit her social media account. “Excited about the new year’s resolution I started early: not explaining SHIT to you people,” she wrote. I am happy that she is not letting others get to her, but I do not think this is a respectful reply.

This reminded me of all the people who earn money and fame through social media and its viewers, but then go on to complain how terrible those same people are. Do you know who else got tired of negative opinions on social media? Meghan Markle said: “For my own self-preservation, I have not been on social media for a very long time. (…) I’ve made a personal choice to not have any account, so I don’t know what’s out there, and many ways that’s helpful for me.” Supposedly, she was the most trolled person in 2019, (I am not sure how this was measured, so take it with a grain of salt.) which she describes as “almost unsurvivable.” Really? I can think of many things that are more “unsurvivable” than being married to a prince.

Yes, I itch to explore. The farther away, the better. However, during these hectic times, I am learning to appreciate what is right in front of my nose. Or, if not appreciate, then… at least give it a shot. We drive around, see something that interests us, and then we stop by to check it out. There are so many nooks and crannies to which we normally pay no attention, but now, with nothing better to do, we are discovering diamonds in the rough. I hope you are able to do the same where you live.

Social media is good.

Social media is bad.

Try to pick one and stick to it for longer than a minute.

If you want my recommendation – keep it at arm’s length. It can be a great platform to connect with others around the world (like WordPress and this fantastic blog), but it can also be a terrible trap. It can serve as evidence in your trial and it can destroy your mental health. Be warned.

• Do you think we are born with being an explorer or are we taught to be curious?
• Have you discovered any cool places near you that were not aware of previously?
• Do you post your transgressions on social media?
• What is your relationship with social media and your audience?

Stay golden,

***

Did you enjoy reading this post?
Hit LIKE.
Have some thoughts on the topic?
Share in the COMMENTS.
Do you regularly enjoy my blog?
Be sure to FOLLOW.
Are my posts getting lost in your busy Reader?
Try SUBSCRIBING.
Want to get to know me better?
Check me out on TWITTER @SamGoldieKirk.