What is Social Media Even FOR These Days?
- jlk399
- 2 hours ago
- 4 min read
Hey friend,
I’ve been reflecting on my relationship with social media lately.
I started my Instagram account over 15 years ago, and I used to looove making content.
At first it was all about sharing personal pictures, stories, experiences, and ideas, and connecting with like-minded people. Then my personal training business took off, it became a fun tool for educating, inspiring, and pushing back against the sometimes toxic and inauthentic messages being presented from other people in the fitness industry.
When I shifted my focus to self love and body image, I enjoyed using my platform to share insights and tools for feeling confident, highlight widespread misinformation about bodies, and take a stand against injustices like diet culture, weight stigma, and unrealistic beauty ideals.
Then during Covid, as people started using social media as a place to learn and speak out about various social justice issues, it felt good to participate as both a thought leader (in my own areas of expertise) and a perpetual learner (in all the other areas).
But the last couple of years, I feel like I’ve lost the thread.
Social media has evolved so much, and I find myself questioning its role these days, both in our lives as a society, and in my own life as a business owner and content creator.
These platforms used to be a place to share moments, connect with friends, and express ourselves authentically, and they were a great place to share my work and connect with potential clients.
Over time however, they’ve transformed into an amalgam of curated highlight reels, constant marketing and advertising, and mindless entertainment. (Not to mention that they’ve increasingly become a source of stress, comparison, and compulsive scrolling for many of us!)
After my book BODY NEUTRAL was published in the summer of 2023, I pulled back from creating social media content, partly because I was just burned out from the experience of writing and editing a book, and partly because I no longer really understood what the purpose of social media was.
If I’m being totally honest, I thought I was just responding to a transitional moment of the internet, and the answer would become clear over time.
After all, TikTok had just become a big thing, and Instagram was flailing to keep up. My peers were still using social media to educate and inspire, but suddenly everyone was just pointing to words in the air, and doing little skits and jokes in an attempt to make trending audios relevant to their niche.
But as time has passed, and the platforms have moved even further into the territory of influencers, marketing, and viral entertainment, I still don’t have any clarity.
Personally when I use social media these days, I’d say I’m generally using it either to find product recommendations, get tips on how to do something, or just as a sort of mind-numbing break from reality.
It’s a little embarrassing to admit, but for me, social media consumption has probably shifted more to entertainment than education or connection over the last few years. I do like when experts explain complex political topics or educate about nuanced aspects of mental health, but I probably spend more time watching silly skits, stand-up comedy clips, fan theories about whatever TV show I’m watching, cute cat videos, and satisfying videos of people making art.
So… where does that leave me as a business owner, coach, and content creator?
When I sit down to try to make content, whether for social media, YouTube, or even my podcast, I feel like I just draw a blank.
→ Posting personal stories, selfies, and snippets of my life feels pointless and inappropriate, given the stressful and chaotic political environment we’re all in. (Plus I’m not all that convinced people would be interested in it anyway, since I think the era of people wanting to get behind the scenes in the personal lives of creators has sort of passed.)
→ Posting content that educates about body neutrality and self-worth feels like it would fall sort of flat right now too, because while I know there are certainly people on social media looking for help feeling more confident, they seem to generally be looking more for inspiration and positivity, than actual education, or an invitation to do the deeper work.
→ And while I think making content in my niche that was funny or entertaining would probably be received well in the current social media landscape, I just don’t really know how to accomplish that, personally.
My solution to this conundrum has basically been to stop posting on social media altogether, and to stop making content in general (except for these weekly emails!), until I can figure out what the hell social media is even for these days.
So I’m genuinely curious, and would love to hear from you!
What do we actually want from social media now, and what are we looking for? Are we using it for inspiration, education, community, entertainment, escapism, or something else entirely?
Whether you use it as a platform to run a business, or you just use it as a consumer, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the following questions:
What do you use social media for these days?
What kind of content resonates with you?
What makes you want to follow or engage with someone’s content?
What kind of content would make you excited to see me create?
Go ahead and leave a comment to share your answers if you have them! No judgment, and no pressure, but you are my community, and my people, and I’m genuinely looking for some insight, inspiration, and wisdom here.
With love and curiosity,
Jessi
PS Since this is the only place I promote my coaching offers anymore, I want to remind you that I’m a coach running an online business who is really, really good at helping people overcome food and body image issues. ;-)
Apply for coaching here to work together this spring/summer!
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