MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Vine, Google+. Everyone knows what these are; everyone has at least one. These may just be words to some people, just a site they have so they can say they have one and not feel “out of the loop”. Everyone likes to share their thoughts, and pictures with their friends online and they do not always think about what they are sharing and who they are really sharing it with. Go on your Facebook right now and look at the number of friends you have on there, I guarantee it is between 600 and 1000 at the minimum. Do we really truly know that many people? Nine times out of ten the answer is usually no. We add people that we have met one time, or people we have heard their name in conversation from someone else, or you have “mutual friends” with the person that wants to add you. On Instagram and Twitter where we have followers instead of friends, anyone can follow you whether you know the person or not.
Anyone can follow or friend anyone now days and people do not think before they post. People are nosey, they want as much information about others as they can get and will dig deep to find it. As we scroll through sites such as Instagram and Facebook looking at others pictures we look for information, what have they been doing, who are they hanging out with now. A lot of questions come up. When we come across shocking pictures more questions cross our minds.
Scrolling through Instagram photos is a way that I can keep up with people that I do not see that often, some of them family members. As I scroll through the images, one comes across my screen after another and another. I’m not seeing anything out of the ordinary just the usual Man Crush Mondays, Woman Crush Wednesdays, Throw Back Thursdays, and the images of friends with their family and pets. As I look through the many images that continue to scroll across my screen I come across a picture that is more out of the ordinary. My cousin has posted a picture of her sonogram. As the small black and white image scrolls across my screen I just stop and stare. So many thoughts running through my head but I am not sure what to say.
My cousin is roughly two months older than my making her only nineteen and she is now five months pregnant. Wanting to comment on the picture so badly I held back. I did not want to post something that everyone can see because I was shocked at the news, and finding out through social media took me off my feet a little. After attempting to gather my thoughts, I picked up the phone to call my mom. The ringing on the other end seemed as though it would never stop. The other end finally picked and I blurted out the news. Her response was as well as mine, many thoughts yet no words. It is my mom’s brother, and she had just gotten off the phone with him and he had shared the news with her as I was seeing the post on Instagram.
My cousin and I used to be close when we were younger because we are so close in age but now that we are busy with our own lives between school and work we don’t talk outside of family gatherings which don’t happen that often anymore either. Although close as young children I felt like a lot of things between us were competitive; that did not change our relationship that we had though. We went to each other’s’ birthday parties with friends and had sleepovers at our grandparent’s house so we could be spoiled rotten all night long. When we see each other at major holiday gatherings now, it is like nothing has changed, we still have conversations like we did when we were young and sat up until 10 o’clock gossiping thinking it was so late. I will randomly see her out and about at places like the mall and we hug, say our hellos, catch up for a moment then part our ways. Seeing her a few weeks ago was weird; last time I saw her she still had a little cheerleader body and now she has round belly a big as she is.
Every time my cousin’s name runs across my screen now all I see is the small, square, black and white image of a little baby. Now because she is my cousin, yes I am shocked, but I am happy for her because I know the baby will be in a good home and have many people who love him. For someone who does not know her and comes across the image, they may think differently of her because of that one image. Social media is a way to keep up with people, but what about those who you know their name so you accept them or they accept you? If you come across an image such as that, what will you now think of the person that you thought you knew who they were?
Anyone can follow or friend anyone now days and people do not think before they post. People are nosey, they want as much information about others as they can get and will dig deep to find it. As we scroll through sites such as Instagram and Facebook looking at others pictures we look for information, what have they been doing, who are they hanging out with now. A lot of questions come up. When we come across shocking pictures more questions cross our minds.
Scrolling through Instagram photos is a way that I can keep up with people that I do not see that often, some of them family members. As I scroll through the images, one comes across my screen after another and another. I’m not seeing anything out of the ordinary just the usual Man Crush Mondays, Woman Crush Wednesdays, Throw Back Thursdays, and the images of friends with their family and pets. As I look through the many images that continue to scroll across my screen I come across a picture that is more out of the ordinary. My cousin has posted a picture of her sonogram. As the small black and white image scrolls across my screen I just stop and stare. So many thoughts running through my head but I am not sure what to say.
My cousin is roughly two months older than my making her only nineteen and she is now five months pregnant. Wanting to comment on the picture so badly I held back. I did not want to post something that everyone can see because I was shocked at the news, and finding out through social media took me off my feet a little. After attempting to gather my thoughts, I picked up the phone to call my mom. The ringing on the other end seemed as though it would never stop. The other end finally picked and I blurted out the news. Her response was as well as mine, many thoughts yet no words. It is my mom’s brother, and she had just gotten off the phone with him and he had shared the news with her as I was seeing the post on Instagram.
My cousin and I used to be close when we were younger because we are so close in age but now that we are busy with our own lives between school and work we don’t talk outside of family gatherings which don’t happen that often anymore either. Although close as young children I felt like a lot of things between us were competitive; that did not change our relationship that we had though. We went to each other’s’ birthday parties with friends and had sleepovers at our grandparent’s house so we could be spoiled rotten all night long. When we see each other at major holiday gatherings now, it is like nothing has changed, we still have conversations like we did when we were young and sat up until 10 o’clock gossiping thinking it was so late. I will randomly see her out and about at places like the mall and we hug, say our hellos, catch up for a moment then part our ways. Seeing her a few weeks ago was weird; last time I saw her she still had a little cheerleader body and now she has round belly a big as she is.
Every time my cousin’s name runs across my screen now all I see is the small, square, black and white image of a little baby. Now because she is my cousin, yes I am shocked, but I am happy for her because I know the baby will be in a good home and have many people who love him. For someone who does not know her and comes across the image, they may think differently of her because of that one image. Social media is a way to keep up with people, but what about those who you know their name so you accept them or they accept you? If you come across an image such as that, what will you now think of the person that you thought you knew who they were?