How Social Media Has Changed Us

Changed might be the wrong name for this post. Maybe it was there before but we just never noticed it, or maybe social media has brought out a side of us and just exaggerated it. But I’m sure that I don’t remember people being so in-your-face before. I don’t remember this much bragging going on. Is that true? Or was it just easier to ignore then? When it was just coming from someones mouth it was easier to zone it. Now, it’s all over our phones. Every platform we are on, it’s there. You’ve posted the same image over Instagram, Twitter and Facebook just to ensure that every person in your life has seen it.

Now, don’t get me wrong. We’re all guilty of it, we all have given in to it and now document most aspects of our life. Granted, some worse than others but recently it’s really started to get to me. It’s really started to annoy me way more than it did before. I can’t go out for lunch with my friends without one of them putting up a picture of what we ate. When did that become so important? Why does everyone need to know every minute of your day?

Instagram is now a really irritating one for this. It’s now become everybody’s blog – they update their followers like they are a fan base. It’s so superficial and so frustrating that I now search for posts that look at least a little genuine, like that person isn’t just putting that on for show, but actually because they just like that photo and want to share it. There are little numbers of genuine desire to share, and more and more of just showing off.

Holidays just illustrate this. I have never seen so many people post pictures of their Christmas presents, until this year. When did that become so impersonal? It used to be about spending it with your family, thought over price – now what, if your boyfriend didn’t get that Michael Kors watch for you, you won’t have anything to post? It’s crazy. But it’s true. I see it in everyone.

I have friends who have posted a picture of themselves at the gym, taken months ago, and yet repost it today just because they forgot to take a picture of it that day, and couldn’t possibly not document that moment in life.

It’s stupid. How ridiculous does that sound? But then look at yourself. How many times have you gone to post a picture or a tweet but haven’t done it because it’s not “interesting enough”, or you have actually posted something just to prove a point. You hate that picture of you from last night, but you post it anyway just so everyone knows you weren’t sat in waiting to find out who killed Lucy Beale (guilty).

I think my problem with it lies within the fact that I find it all fake. I find that people feel forced to post something to prove their existence, or prove their worth. ‘OMG, you don’t have Facebook? Where do you post that you went for a cheeky Nandos?’ springs to mind. It’s funny, I know. But at the same time it’s scary. I feel that we’ve lost a sense of life, whilst trying to desperately to show that we have one. We can no longer wish our Mum’s a happy Mothers Day without posting it everywhere so that the world knows that she's ‘the best mum in the world’.

Nothing feels genuine. I hate the feeling that someone is posting something for me, when it’s actually for the sake of their followers.

Kirsti x 

How To Make Your Twitter Employer Friendly

Can everyone please stop telling us that we're 'in the real world now'. Like seriously, we don't fancy it. Take us back to no responsibilities and never having to think past the next few hours of our day, we're not a fan of this whole 'planning for the future' business, it's tiring.

Sure everyone talks about this real world, and it's never sounded like much fun but being in it is a whole other story. Having to face employers (and the rejection that they are so keen to dish out) makes you question your abilities, and how you come across to others, which like we said is pretty tiring.

But unfortunately it has to be done, and while we would love to book a one way ticket to somewhere hot and carefree, our morning is actually going to be spent applying to placements, sigh.

Ok, so we'll stop moaning now and get to actually being helpful.

Are you one of those people that tweets absolutely every thought that you have? Do you tweet without a second thought? And think that the more controversial you are the better? Well if so then we love people like you, but employers may not.

Gone are the days when you turn up to a job interview and are judged on how you perform, and the way you appear (oh how much easier would that be!?), nope now there is a whole library of information that employers can find on you, and that's all thanks to the wonderful place we like to call the internet.

While Big Brother is a set up environment it's not too far away from real life, and employers really are like Big Brother watching you. What better way to get to know what someone actually thinks, than stalking them on an account where they will happily bare all without a second thought?

You need to show some consideration to how you come across online, and here's a few tips on how to do so:

1) Show an interest in global affairs

This is extremely impressive to employers as it shows you have interests that are of use, rather than just being interested in who slapped who on The Real Housewives (sorry Kirst). We have been asked to discuss events taking place in the world in previous interviews, so displaying a knowledge through your online identity will help employers find what they are looking for in their candidates.

2) Avoid bragging about working on a hangover

While your friends may find this funny and impressive your potential employers will not. We are not saying don't do it (because where's the fun in that?) but what we are saying is don't brag about it. This instantly tells employers that you are unreliable and makes them question if you would be someone they could trust to employ.

3) Be careful what you retweet and favourite

So often we do not consider what we favourite/retweet and simply click a button to do so without even thinking. Ok granted you didn't write the tweet, but what you favourite actually tells an employer a lot about you, as it's an indirect way of expressing views that you might have. Would it be something that, with employers watching you in mind, you would tweet? No? Then don't favourite/retweet it.

4) Ditch references to things that break the law

This sounds ridiculously obvious, but you wouldn't believe how many people do it. Tweeting about the illegal substances you consumed the night before may be the norm for you, but 83% of employers say that this would completely put them off employing you (understandable really). You have to get the balance of being yourself, and impressing employers, meaning that some things need to go unsaid we're afraid.

5) Watch the grammar

We know, we know your Twitter isn't an academic piece of work, and you spend enough time proof reading assignments, but the trouble is that this is what is expected of you, where as correct spelling on Twitter, typically is not. This means that employers are shown your true literary abilities (rather than the usual spell checked stuff you've written elsewhere), and with 66% of hiring managers claiming they would be put off by evidence of poor grammar, we're sorry to say that spell checking your Twitter is gonna have to happen.

6) Pick your opinions wisely

If you know you will be applying for a job at a specific company, make sure your tweets show a consideration of this. You may think you are fine if you are not negatively tweeting about the company themselves, but many of the big corporations work together, so be careful to not be digging at any alliances that they may have. Do your research, and make sure you censor your posts so that a potential employer will not be offended by what you have written.


It seems like the obvious solution would be just be to make your account private right? Unfortunately not, as this will limit your accessibility when you are searching for a job. Instead it's best to find a balance between being yourself, and being someone that employers will like.

This does not mean singing the praises of all your potential employers (hellooo they will see right through you), but it does mean being mindful of how you conduct yourself online. Like we said, this is the 'real world' now, and as much as we hate to admit it, this means being responsible and attempting to appear to like adult (most of the time).

Why Social Media Is Talking You Out Of A Night In

It's Friday night and you're sitting in your pjs with a dominoes feeling like you should be in heels and a tight dress, like the other 90% of people your age. It's strange because you're not having a bad time, quite the opposite actually you're having a fabulous time, but you've looked through Instagram and seen a million 'out out ' posts, and every 5 seconds you receive a new drunken Snapchat and you can't help feel as though you are missing out. You're boring. You are not going to have anything to post on social media in the morning, and the world is going to assume that you have no life. 

When did enjoying yourself become so centred around how you are perceived by others? You can bet your life that you are happier in a baggy tee with pizza in one hand and a tea in the other, than you would be with your toes squished and ankles awkwardly arched, while you stumble around sucking in your belly because your dress is too tight. So why do we do it? We can't even count the amount of times we've forced make up on, and every sip of alcohol has been a struggle, but the fear of missing out has won again.

No snapchat story of us dancing with a drink? No overly posey selfie with a caption telling everyone what club we are going to? No hungover Sunday status about how we are 'never drinking again'? Oh no that just won't do. 

We live in a world where posting about a night out is more fun than the night itself. Where we can never do what we would rather be doing because that's not interesting to others. A night out is not a night out if it hasn't been posted about, and most of the time is spent focused on how the night will be documented best. 

Going out is no longer for fun, it's to have something to update, it's to create an interesting online existence. Dresses can't be re-worn because they are posted for all to see, and you can't be drunk and embarrassing without the whole world being in on your antics. Your night is shared with the everyone, and you better hope it's good enough to keep your social networking the perfect representation of your life. 

Ok ok we could moan about social media all day, but I guess the point is do what you enjoy, not what is enjoyable for viewers to see. Stay in on a Saturday with a takeaway and old episodes of Gavin & Stacey, the beauty of social media is that it's not real, so you can always upload a throwback and pretend you were 'out out ' last night.