Social Media – Successful or Scary?

It’s no secret that social media is huge in today’s society. Not only has it become an integral part of our personal lives, facilitating communication and maintaining relationships, it is now used by commercial companies and businesses as way to promote themselves and increase profits. This has had a large effect upon the fashion industry, particularly in terms of the way individuals and agencies self-advertise. As a digital company with a strong online presence both on our website and on social media, we understand the positive difference that social media platforms can make. However, there are downsides and dangers to be aware of.

One issue that we have spoken about previously is online scams. A significant problem with social media is that people may not be who they say they are. For models, this can mean photographers claiming to work with particular companies or agencies. It is important to always be wary of strangers contacting you online, if in doubt do not reply or report/block their account.

Privacy is another problem with platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Make sure you check your privacy settings in order to monitor who can view your posts and pictures. Never give away personal details online, especially if they are open for anyone to see. Be careful about showing your location on apps like Snapchat, which tracks your movement on Snapmaps. As long as you regularly keep tabs on your privacy settings, you will remain safe online.

The amount of data that sites like Facebook have about you can be scary. Facebook stores every message you have ever sent or received, every time you log in and out of the site, along with which device you used and what time. Facebook also holds information about your hobbies and interests based upon the things you ‘like’ and online conversations with friends. As well as Facebook itself, many other websites and apps link to Facebook, including Google, email accounts, Spotify… the list continues. To cut a long story short, Facebook knows a lot about you, so be careful how you use it.

Sometimes it can seem like the internet governs our lives, and to a certain extent, this is true. Whilst social media is good for a range of different uses, it’s worth having a detox every once in a while. Turn off notifications for certain apps, specifically at night time so they don’t disturb you. Whilst we all like to stay connected, try to regulate your usage to avoid being clued to your phone constantly.

If you are aware of the dangers of social media and how to tackle them, the positives of using such platforms can definitely outweigh the negatives. Having said that, we shouldn’t rely on social media too heavily and knowing how to use it successfully is vital, no matter what the purpose or intention.

Sophie xx