It’s Time to Cleanse Your Social Media
By Brittany Gehlmann
The New Year is all about resets. Maybe for you that means curbing indulgence in sweets and alcohol or recovering from the exhaustion of the holiday season. But an overlooked area of life that may require a cleanse is social media.
Gone are the days of following people back because you have mutual followers or met them once at a frat party. Now is the time for meaningful follows and purposeful content sharing. Social media, while rife with progressive ideology and human indecency, has many positives that can get lost when we misuse it.
It is a problem that we only have ourselves to blame for. We’ve all been that college freshman, desperate to meet new people, who follows every single person possible on the incoming class Facebook page to gain familiarity and intel on our new peers.
However, now we are in our mid-twenties and in serious relationships or looking for one. We do not need to follow a random girl from West Hartford, whose grade or dorm you can’t even remember. You do not need to follow that “chad” from Kappa Sig or the fleeting acquaintance from your pledge class, who you haven’t spoken to since you dropped your sorority. Following people for the heck of it is OUT in 2024. Following people with intentionality is IN.
It is perfectly acceptable to follow your best friend’s boyfriend or that political figure you
desperately want to win in the primaries, because you have a personal interest in them. You care about what ends up happening to them. But, you do not need to follow girls who never had your back and still don’t, just for the temporary self-esteem boost of an extra follower. Our worth is not attached to the number of followers or likes we garner on these apps.
There are questions I have started asking myself in order to identify fake friends or people who don’t enrich my life. Have I spoken to them in a year? Would I want them at my wedding? Would I like to send them a family Christmas card one day when I’m married? If the answer to any of these is “no,” then it’s time to unfollow.
Unfollowing someone doesn’t have to suggest pettiness or a personal vendetta. It’s for your mental benefit. We no longer need to feel as though it is a form of respect to follow all girls back to “support women”.
Instead, think of how these people support you in your day-to-day life. Do they uplift you? Do they cherish your friendship? Could you grab coffee next week and feel comfortable with them? These questions should also inform who we surround ourselves with in daily life. It is not judgmental or mean to be selective with the people in our corner. We should be picky out of precaution for our future.
I have been the girl to follow someone because they followed me, but no more. This year, I am doing a social media follower detox. I will continue to be diligent with choosing the people I let in. Life doesn’t get easier, but by surrounding yourself with love, honesty, and support, it can be much more enjoyable.
Brittany is a columnist for the Conservateur and former analyst for the Federal Reserve and the Department of Defense.
