Social media has now been used more as a creative tool to express ourselves now more than ever.
From stylish and aesthetically pleasing photos, to creating content for others to see, you can’t deny that social media plays a major role in all of our lives, especially teenagers.
Certain kids here at Lakeland High School have taken advantage of the potential you can create with it. It sounds crazy, but a lot of kids express themselves through posting photos of themselves, or whatever’s going on in their life.
On Instagram, kids can nearly curate how they want to be seen on social media. Sharing drawings, writing and poetry, or just posting cool pictures of yourself, showcases what image you want.
A student who definitely has used social media as a creative outlet is AJ Mura. Mura has his own Youtube channel where he posts comedic gaming videos, usually playing horror games with occasional vlogs. Mura’s channel “OJAY Gaming”, has garnered nearly 1,200 subscribers in just under a year.
“The channel has definitely helped express myself, and wanting to make people laugh and to entertain others,” Mura said.
Another student at LHS, Micah Fox, comments on the usage of apps such as Instagram being a vessel for creativity.
“I think apps like that can almost be seen as a canvas, and you have all these options to create whatever you want,” Fox says.
Social media, from my own experiences, can be used for great things in terms of expression. Even things such as sending videos to your friends creates a new sense of community and belonging. Sharing humor and ideas can inspire new ideas and create relationships through a shared creativity of social media. From posting pictures of your new car, to sharing your favorite quote or your photography.
I think what makes teens so drawn to it is the removal of in-person anxiety that can cause a hindrance to sharing our hobbies and passions.
Social media is a great vessel for being creative in whatever space you want. You may never know that someone has a deep passion for cars, until you can look at their Instagram or Snapchat. That’s what makes it so special.
Not knowing someone’s creative passions by just the look of them, but having a whole other side of someone that is expressed online; whether it’s a Youtube channel about horror games, or writing poetry.
Social Media: A New Creative Outlet
