New Social Norms

Ocasionally, new technology and tools are released that changes social norms. For example, social media apps like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat have profoundly changed how we interact with each other. Photos and videos are now an essential component of how we communicate and interact with others.

Growing up, I wasn’t very photogenic. I froze up and acted awkward anytime a camera lens was pointed towards me. In retrospect, this was part of the reason why I was late to adopt social media - I started my first social media account, Facebook, when I started university in 2015. Now, I’d argue that photos and photography are an essential skill in the social media age. Much of our online identities are based on how we present ourselves online and how we look in pictures.

I was late to photos, I was late to social media, and I was late to dating apps. I held a cynical view of many of these things intially. But what I learned is that at the beginning there’s a small cost to tuning out these new social norms, but the negative side effects compound even if you don’t participate.

Many current social norms I may be cynical of such as Fortnite and Tiktok. But sometimes its better to follow the culture than resist it.