Media Mindfulness

When you hear the phrase “media mindfulness,” your first thought probably has something to do with social media. The idea of media mindfulness definitely deals with the ways that we use social media, but it also deals with the ways that we interact with all forms of media; books, movies, newspapers, you name it. When we make decisions about the types of media that we interact with, we should do our best to be mindful of what we hope to gain from our media usage and how we are going to go about using the vast network of media and information that is available to us at the touch of a button. 

Undoubtedly, social media is the most potentially harmful place in the media landscape. Before logging into any social media platform, it is important for us to keep in mind that social media is a snapshot of a person’s life. People post the highlights of their experiences, hoping to capture moments in time that they enjoyed, collected in an endless archive of their lives. What we don’t see, though, are the tough times in life. The things that nobody “wants” to see on a social media platform. Thankfully, the culture around social media has slowly been changing. With the rise of applications like TikTok, influencers are becoming more comfortable with showing us a more authentic picture of their lives and experiences. This has a trickle-down effect and permeates into our own social media pages and habits. We are starting to see that we don’t have to hide and, as a collective, we are becoming more mindful of the ways that we interact with and post on social media.

This collective realization has led to a shift in social media culture. (Generally speaking. There are studies that indicate that social media conditions us to expect certain things, and this can lead to an influx of more stereotypically negative social media use.) Sure, you still have your classic Instagram influencers who do their absolute best to curate a “perfect” life on their feeds, but the majority of social media users are learning that we don’t always have to be perfect. In fact, imperfections are being celebrated, and we are being reminded to keep our intentions in mind when we use social media, to avoid negativity and hate comments, and to be present. 

Social media aside, keeping our intentions in mind, avoiding hate and toxic environments, and being present are things that we should think about when we use any form of media. Social media is, without a doubt, the main offender when it comes to creating false realities and toxic places, but being mindful about how we use media goes beyond looking at our laptops and phones. If you start to feel overwhelmed, make sure you take some time for yourself. Go outside, take some deep breaths, sing a song, whatever helps you feel centered and present. Practicing mindfulness is very personal, and everyone’s version of media mindfulness will look different. That’s what is so great about the way we use media; no social media page or interpretation of a book or story will ever be identical.

Written by: Media Smart Citizens Content Creator Miranda Gilbert.