Social Media – Sarah Christine Young

For my first Instagram post (yes, I’m about eight years behind the curve–again, no one should hire me to predict trends), I posted a quote from one of my favorite poems: The Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Eliot. When I was in college, I went so far as to type the whole thing in rainbow ink, print and tape it together in multiple sheets, and hang it on my dorm room wall. Needless to say, I had a lot more disposable time back then, but that is not the point. The point is this poem has always resonated with me in multiple ways, from the subject’s social insecurity to his inability to act decisively. I joined Instagram in an attempt to connect with the world as I pursue something I have always wanted to do–writing–but never believed was possible in a practical universe. This pursuit may not disturb the universe at large but it certainly has disrupted me.

For almost as long as blogging as been a “thing,” I have resisted it, skeptical that anyone would ever be interested in reading about another, regular person’s daily life, particularly mine. Then again, I also thought Facebook and the ipad would never catch on, so maybe my instincts are not the best. Once I realized that blogging was indeed a “thing” and that in fact, I enjoyed learning more about some of my favorite authors and artists and all-around interesting people, I began to reconsider whether I should start my own. I worry about maintaining privacy and giving strangers access to criticize but then I remember that the antidote to negative speech is more speech. More positive speech, more productive speech, more supportive speech. To that end, I look forward to sharing and connecting with you!