#WrongAllAlong: Rethinking Everything I Knew About Social Media

Learning how to navigate social media has always been terrifying to me. I love just scrolling and using it as a form of entertainment, but the background information that goes into it was just not my thing. That was until I took this class. As we started this semester, I came in believing that I knew the ins and outs of social media and that I could easily run a business account, but now that I reflect, I feel that was completely wrong. I had no idea all of the new information I would be learning and how eventually I would actually need to apply it for real!

Posting times? I would have never expected that Sunday is the worst day to post! I am a frequent user of social media, especially on the weekends because I do not have anything else to do. When I learned that some platforms have a better performance rate on weekdays I was completely shocked. The more I've thought about it and the more I see that each platform is the same, it's not as shocking as I originally thought due to the fact that Sunday is typically a religious day and people come home from work or school on the weekdays and want to stay caught up with everything they missed.

Hashtags have been and always will be all the rage. When I was in middle school, it was pretty typical to have as many hashtags as possible in your captions no matter what platform you were posting. The more hashtags the more views right? Wrong! For all social media posts, it's recommended that you use only 1-3 hashtags. This can help narrow down your audience as well as boost your performance due to not overcrowding the caption and tags. Now I'm really going to have to think about what is the most important for me to put into the description of the post to get more views!

Reflecting on everything I've learned this semester, I realize just how much my perspective on social media has changed. What once felt overwhelming now feels manageable. While I used to think social media was all about fun scrolling and spontaneous posting, I’ve come to appreciate how strategic and thoughtful it really needs to be, especially if you're using it for a purpose beyond personal entertainment.

Looking ahead, I feel more confident, not just as a user of social media, but as someone who could actually manage a brand’s online presence. So while I used to be scared of what went on behind the screen, now I see it as an opportunity. And now, I finally feel like I know how to use it.

Why Social Media is Too Hard to Disconnect From

Social media apps are structured to keep you on them as long as possible. You heard that right. They are designed to entertain you so long that you do not realize that so much time had just passed. Here is some information about social media that you may not have known all together.

1. Social media doesn't give up information

If you thought that all social media apps would sell all of your data, you would be wrong. Instead, they actually keep the vital information so that they can predict what you want to see online. They use your data to create almost a model of yourself that shows you on your media feed exactly what will keep you on the app.

2. Its not just TikTok

Some people think that TikTok is the app the started all of the addiction to social media but the addiction to our phones started way before that. In The Social Dilemma, one of the app developers for large companies admitted that it partially started with Gmail. Due to that being most people's communication online when cell phones first started coming out, they would just wait for the app to let them know when they received a message. Then came along Myspace, Facebook, Instagram... which are also apps that use up most peoples time of day now.

3. Major increase in anxiety

In The Social Dilemma, they also mentioned how anxiety and depression has had a major influx ever since social media has existed. If we don't have our phones near us but we hear a notification, we become very anxious to see what we are missing. As human beings, we are very curious and always want to know what is going on. Social media has only increased this now that we have everything right under our fingertips.

Overall, social media can be a more dangerous place then expected. After watching the first half of The Social Dilemma, I am challenging myself to lower the amount of time I spend on my phone each day. My goal is to lower my average daily use from eight and a half hours to only five hours. I know it is going to be a challenge for me, but I am going to do my best. I recommend that anyone reading this should also limit their time on their phone, but also on social media as well.

Why X Has Fallen Off

The social media platform X was once known as Twitter, a name that carried recognition and cultural significance. Twitter started as a simple way for friends to check in on each other and post short updates about their lives. Over time, it evolved into one of the most influential social media platforms, shaping conversations in real time. It became a platform where politicians, celebrities, journalists, and everyday users could share their thoughts instantly. However, after Elon Musk purchased Twitter in 2022, the app underwent dramatic changes. So much so that many users feel it will never be the same again.  

One of the most controversial changes was the rebranding of Twitter to X. The iconic blue and white bird logo, which had become a staple for the recognition of the app, was replaced with a minimalist black-and-white “X.” This left many users frustrated, as the old branding was deeply tied to Twitter’s identity. The name change created widespread confusion, as users who had spent years saying they were “tweeting” suddenly had no easy way to refer to posting.

The platform’s content moderation policies and algorithm changes have also caused major concerns. With Musk’s growing involvement in politics and his public stances on various issues, skepticism toward the algorithm has increased. Many users feel that their "For You" feed no longer reflects their interests but is instead driven by paid content and accounts favored by Musk himself.

Another major change that sparked debate was the overhaul of the verification system. In the past, the blue checkmark was a status symbol that signified credibility and authenticity, typically awarded to public figures based on their influence and identity verification. Verification is now a paid feature for anyone, only for a monthly subscription. This led to a decline in trust, as users could no longer easily distinguish between credible sources and those willing to pay for a checkmark.

Ultimately, Twitter was more than just a social media app, but with its transformation into X, the platform has lost much of the power and attraction it once had. Many users have left for alternatives like Threads, while others remain out of habit or curiosity about what X might become.