The Blog We Share in MM199

By Khalil Wilson Often times what we see on social media is not a true reflection of our reality. There are even instances where people choose to be an alternate identity when they are interacting on social media platforms. Whether this poses other implications can be argued, but essentially as long as the youth keep consuming social media they will be exposed to millions of differing opinions. This idea of going 'viral' or becoming famous causes teens to go to extreme lengths just to be in the public spotlight. Emotionally, social media comes with a lot of strings attached. Youth may interact on social media and see the different lifestyle people they're age are living and may be envious. From there comes the idea of not measuring up enough, and continuing on is just a downward spiral. A small controlled study showed that young women within the ages of 17 to 25 reported a negative mood after browsing Facebook for just ten minutes. Imaging the broader effects of socia...

Listen to this podcast to listen to me talk about the app TikTok and how it has kept me busy. Quarantine Tingz Podcast

Body image obviously plays a huge part in the world, but I think that there are steps we can take to get rid of societies "standards". Here are a few steps I think we should take. 1.) Stop acting like skinny is what everyone likes & accepts. All body types are beautiful, & skinny is not the standard of everyone. 2.) Instead of posting what other people want to see, post what you like. I feel like once people get comfortable with posting what they enjoy to do, instead of what social media enjoys what they like to do, then people can overall be happy with the content they have for themselves to enjoy, not to think that everyone on your social media has to enjoy it. Overall, change is hard. The world & these standards won't change until people actually want to do it. But I believe once more people start speaking up about body image & the negative effects social media has with it, & things could start looking better.

Self-care is extremely important, especially during quarantine. You need to ensure that your body is happy and healthy. There are many different types of face masks and cleansers to use. I personally recommend anything from the brand Drunk Elephant. They have items for every single skin type. Make time for yourself to either meditate or write a journal, just so all of your thoughts can be written out in front of you. There are many apps and podcasts to help you with this. There is an app named Headspace that is helpful when trying to meditate. Make sure that you are putting you and your health first.

We all have some sort of streaming website we use. However, by this point, I believe that I have watched every single thing on Netflix. Whether it is Disney+, Netflix, Hulu, you can always find something new to watch. I know that during most of quarantine I was not working, so I had time to watch a lot of things. If you have not seen The Mandalorian by now, you have been living under a rock. Also, as of May 15, Avatar: The Last Airbender is on Netflix. There are a plethora of things to watch, even if it is on 123 Movies. Start a new series or movie, maybe even rewatch another series or movie. Something that you find intriguing and entertaining.

One of the first ways to not completely lose your mind is to social distance hangout with your friends. I saw this posted all over on the internet and it is actually not as bad as you think. What you do is you find a friend or multiple friends to hang out with. Then you drive to some sort of lot and park your cars. Then you can simply roll down your windows and chat away. However, if you have a sunroof or a spacious trunk, that works too. You are able to talk with your friends while also remaining a safe distance away.

Quarantine has not been kind to any of us. I understand that they put these rules in place for our safety, however, it is driving most of us insane. Not being able to leave our own house to escape our parents or roommates is like hell on earth. You feel suffocated and constantly watched. All you want to be able to do is distract yourself or find a way to travel outside of your own home. Well, that is why I'm here writing to you all. I'm here to help you stay busy during this unfortunate time of quarantine.