Everyone wants to know how to become an influencer. “How do I become a content creator on Instagram?” is the famous last question. But nobody is asking about how to be a conscious content consumer on the Internet. This troubles me. So even though nobody asked, I’m going to do that whole influencer thing and tell you anyways. Read up!
There are two types of people on social media (maybe even in the world?): content creators and content consumers. What is content? And what is the difference between a content creator and a content consumer?
Content is quite literally any piece of information that is released out, whether via a social media channel, a newspaper, a book, a song, a podcast, a sketch bit of comedy, or any other medium you can possibly think of. Anything that someone puts thought (or, sometimes very little thought) into, creates, and tells someone else about, is content. This blog post? Content. Your aunt’s Facebook updates? Content. Your BFFs Instagram story? Content. Lin Manual-Miranda’s Tweets? (the best kind of) content. Front page article in the paper? Content.
Content creators are people like (but not limited to) news outlets, reporters, authors, musicians, celebrities, entertainers, influencers, and entrepreneurs. A content creator is anyone who creates content that is designed to enrich, empower, educate, inspire, or encourage the person reading it.
We are all, whether you like it or want to believe it or not, content consumers. Even content creators spend a great deal of time consuming content as well – whether it is to be educated, empowered, inspired, or encouraged – in order to continue creating content for others to consume. Content consumers have been around for as long as there has been a Bible or newspaper to read, a television show or news broadcast to view, or a radio or CD to listen to. The concept of content consumption is not a new one, but the way it is being done in recent years, and the way we can expect to see it happen in future years, has changed drastically.
Before the advent of things like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, content consumers were pretty limited as to where they received their content from. Most of it was from local avenues, like a hometown newspaper or the local news channel. They also consumed it through music and ads on the radio. It was really a limited stream of content, most of it filtered through many channels of red tape, and all of it “approved for family appropriate consumption.”
Now, we all have content coming at us at lightning speed, from all different directions, with virtually no filter at all. Very rarely does anyone have to approve any content before it is pushed out for the entire world to take in. And most considerably, it is continual. There is a news reel around the clock. Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter… they never, ever sleep. There is always an opportunity to pick up your phone or log on to your computer and see what new thing has happened, or who said what on Real Housewives, or what stance your best friend now has on the wearing of masks. Ten or so years ago – you had to wait for the 6 o’clock news to come on to get an update. Now it is sitting in your pocket or purse, buzzing with updates every ten or so seconds.
Now, I say all of that to remind you of this – as a content consumer, it is your responsibility to consume content in a responsible, thoughtful, and meaningful way. And that can me so damn hard when it is a non-stop stream that you can never, ever turn off. So today I wanted to talk about a few ways that you can be a good content consumer, support content creators in the best way, and do it all without losing your ever-loving mind in the process.
Becoming a Conscious Content Consumer
Boundaries
I want to start this discussion with BOUNDARIES. Setting boundaries on your content consumption is so incredibly important. Because content is created and shared at lightning speed, with no time for fact-checking and lots of room for interpretation, it is so very important that you give careful, careful consideration to the content you’re allowing in to your mind and heart. There are three types of boundaries I want you to form:
- Who you follow: please make sure that the people you follow and receive your content from are life-giving for you. That doesn’t mean that it has to be all rainbows and sunshine from them all the time, but if you see anyone in any of your feeds that immediately makes you feel like a terrible _______ (insert whatever you need to here), please unfollow or mute them. Even if it is a close family member or someone that you feel obligated to follow, you’re the one in charge of what information and content is allowed in. Don’t let someone else dictate that.
- When you’re available: set a time limit for your consumption. Not one good thing can come from constantly consuming everything that is out there, and it is so very easy to get sucked in to the fast-paced feed of the news and social media. It will have a serious impact on your mental health, which will then filter in to your emotional, physical, spiritual, and social health as well. Set a boundary for yourself – I will not look at my phone after 8PM. I will only be on social media one hour/day. Whatever it is, you decide when you’re available, not your phone or computer.
- What you ingest: like I mentioned earlier, most content these days leaves a lot of room for interpretation. My plea is that you don’t ingest every bit of content you read as the absolute truth as soon as you read/hear/see it. Make space for it, but don’t forget that doing research and learning new things and relying on professionals is also in our best interest. There is nothing wrong with having a different opinion or point of view, but that doesn’t make it factual. So at best, take information in with a grain of salt and be willing to have a discussion about it if necessary.
Remember, “content” is rarely real life.
This is specifically in relation to content you’ll find from Instagram influencers who are sharing bits and pieces of their lives on their social media platforms. Those tiny blips you see on their feed, or the 15-seconds of story they share, are never, ever the whole picture. It might be 99% of the picture, and some influencers are very good at, even known for, sharing the whole picture – the good, the bad, and the really ugly. But I would say they are in the minority.
Like I mentioned in the boundaries section, it is up to you who you follow. If you follow someone who only always shares their gorgeous home, gorgeous kids, and gorgeous life – but it makes you happy? Then by all means, keep following them. But know that none of their life is perfect and we cannot place them on a pedestal just because it looks pretty on Instagram. If that same person makes you feel like a failure because your home/kids/life isn’t as gorgeous as theirs? Unfollow them. (Or at the very least, mute them.)
Stop with the Hate Follows.
Don’t even try to lie because we all do it. I bet you can name at least one person you follow because you can’t stand them, and the only reason you still follow them is to make you feel better about yourself whenever you do see their content in your streams. Let me give you some free advice: those people are taking up real estate in your mind and in your heart you could be filling with content creators who truly make you a better person, not cause you to be bitter. Unfollow, unsubscribe, detach yourself from them and do not look back.
When in doubt, give grace FIRST.
I’m sure that you have a few people you follow that you’ve subconsciously placed on a pedestal. They’ve got a great marriage, happy kids, busy lives, fulfilling careers, a nice house – all the things that we all hope and strive for as adults. But then they go and say ONE thing that you disagree with, or that sets your teeth on edge, or that really makes everything they have look like they don’t deserve it.
When in doubt, give grace FIRST, especially in these situations. No matter how they portray themselves on their social media feeds, no matter how high up you have them propped in your mind, they are still a human being, and they are most definitely going to make a mistake along the way. Whether it is something they flippantly say or an action that rubs people the wrong way, I want to encourage you to be the first person to give them grace when it happens. This idea of “cancel culture” not allowing people to make a single mistake in their day-to-day lives simply because they have a lot of followers is ridiculous. We all make mistakes every day! Mistakes are HOW WE LEARN. So be the first to extend grace, start a conversation, and make room for them to course correct and learn from it.
Mind your manners
One of the first things we learn about as kids is to mind our manners. Follow the Golden Rule. Say hello when you meet someone. Don’t taunt or call people by rude names. When it comes to content creators though, it seems like all of those manners go right out the window. Again, I will tell you that there are people, human beings with feelings and families and lives, behind those accounts. Yes, they’ve decided to share their lives on social media, but that doesn’t give anyone the right to forget all their manners and come in to the space swinging fists and shouting.
Take a deep breath before you leave a comment or send a DM. Would you want someone to send what your about to send to them, to you? Have you considered that maybe what you’re asking is too personal? Or that they haven’t asked for your opinion/advice on this specific subject? When someone creates something you don’t like, and you bust into the space announcing it, that is similar to walking in my front door and saying “Man this is an ugly rug. Why did you pick this one?”
One thing that rings true for all content creators (or it should) is that we put our heart and soul into our work. We are leaving a piece of ourselves out there for you to read, watch, or listen to. And when the consumer can’t take a hot second to temper their response with some common courtesy, it can really kill our desire to keep creating content. So take a moment before saying what you’re about to say and see if it is really adding to the discussion or just fulfilling your need to push your way into it.
Believe it or not, I have a lot more to say on the subject, but my husband told me that he got tired of reading it and suggested I make this a two part series – so that is what I’m doing. Part two will be up later this week but I’d really love it if you shared this on Pinterest, Twitter, or Instagram by using the image below!
If you have thoughts about this, please feel free to leave a comment in the comment section!
Superb content, Skye – everyone should read this!