Final Blog Post

Today, society is obsessed with having the newest and best form of technology. People put such a value on cell phones that when a new iPhone is released, people will wait in lines for hours. There is such a high demand for cell phones that people are willing to spend upwards of a thousand dollars just to have the newest form of technology. Everyone everywhere is constantly using their phones. Whether they are texting, calling, listening to music, or on social media, the world revolves around the use of technology. 

While I am aware of how addictive phones can be I will admit that I, too, rely on my phone for my everyday life. To expand, I do like having my phone because of how convenient and entertaining it is but I am not someone who is completely reliant on my phone. To me, having a phone is like a crutch. I prefer doing stuff like going out and hanging out with my friends in person rather than spending a night in on my phone. I prefer in-person interactions, but sometimes if it is not possible, I do rely on texting and calling people. One thing I would like to improve on is my social media usage. I am not a big poster, but I do like to look at what other people are posting.  I consume social media on Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube, but my favorite social media platform is TikTok. I like TikTok the best because it is quick and straight to the point. Although TikTok is fast, it is scary how sucked in you get. Even though the videos are only thirty seconds long, I can sit and watch TikTok videos for hours. I would like to try to use TikTok less just because it does take up a lot of my time. Especially at night, I will continue scrolling for hours. Instead of watching TikTok, I have been trying to watch television before going to bed because instead of constantly scrolling, I can close my eyes and listen to the television in the background. My biggest social media pet peeve is when people are so consumed in producing content that they will not be present in the moment. 

I do think that social media affects the way I think. I am easily influenced by social media. For example, if I see an influencer I like posting about something they like, I am more inclined to also buy it. An influencer I like is Lauren Tiby. I have bought multiple things she has recommended and have also liked them, and because I trust her recommendation, I continue to buy the products she recommends. I also tend to buy makeup products I see influencers post about. Because I interact with these types of posts, I continue to get more content and advertisements. When I see other people posting about something they like, I am more prone to try it.    

In terms of my social media footprint, since I am not a frequent poster, the majority of the stuff that is online about me has to do with my family. When I google "Ava Szentkereszty de Zagon" the first things that come up are my academic achievements, for instance, the Dean's List. Additionally, there are many things that are posted about my family. It is interesting that the majority of the articles and books written about me are in different languages. What I find the most scary is the fact that my entire family tree is posted. People can go back and trace my lineage back to the 1700s.