Who is Apneet?

In considering the question, "Who do you think you are?" I think it is evident that we are our best, "curated" self on the internet. The think pieces dedicated to why everyone is "brand" in the digital age and the need to edit and polish yourself on the internet are abundant. There is a duality here that may be problematic. The pursuit of showing only the best version of your life creates unrealistic expectations. Sometimes I feel anxious when I don't have anything worth sharing, but that experience is built in to my "job" as a blogger and digital influencer. Specific to this community, it's a constant competition between Instagram accounts and blog posts to always create and share the most likeable content - which leads to the question of authenticity. Maybe we are really just getting more and more further away from our true selves when we choose to share so much online.

Personally, I reject the idea that you can't be yourself on the internet, with good judgement. It's this idea that people are interested in other people. That is the foundation of why readers are interested in what I have to share in the first place. The experience, although digital, is still personal.

As a blogger I think I create more mini media-moments than the average social media user. Sometimes I work with brands who give me a deadline for content, and in between those campaigns I keep my readers afloat to what I'm doing by sharing my own updates. The biggest platform for discovery and growth is Instagram. It is also the most enjoyable. I personally love taking photographs, and it's an easy way to share a quick update when I'm on-the-go. I do love the relatively open channels of communication with my audience as well.

Since we are able to control our own image online, there is pressure to live, or at least act like you live, a fabulous, charmed life. It gets a little bit more complicated when your "image" is tied to your income. Sure, I chose to be a blogger and engage with the interwebs, and no one is forcing me to use social media. But I do genuinely enjoy creating content firstly that I believe in and am proud of and is something my readership can look at and get a kick out of too. 

In our class discussion Prof Caciolo stressed the importance of an online image as being essential in this digital age to your professional life. My blog has lead me to writing contracts, jobs, collaborations and numerous opportunities that simply would not have come way had I not had an online presence. Social media has allowed me to take my passions (fashion, writing, photography) and turn them into a profession. My writing can be seen at Racked, Refinery 29, and elsewhere, and I've worked with global brands like VANS, Clinique, and many others. All of this is a direct result of my blog. 

As a consumer of media, I am constantly on the lookout for the "new." Discovering new music and new blogs, Instagram accounts, and reading online content is how I consume media. I rarely watch TV because most of it is garbage, but I do "Netflix and Chill." Last year, I took about six months away from Facebook, and didn't miss it all. I realized, however, that I needed a Facebook account for work-related purposes, and thus I activated my account again.

As media, social media and the internet blend more and more into our lives, I thought about why I should need Facebook. The answer comes down to its enormous user base. People share articles, music and status updates, photos, and much more on the platform all day long. If you have something to say, you have to put your voice out there where it can be heard.

In closing, Clay Shirky has written an excellent book on the topic titled Here Comes Everybody, of which chapter three, "Everyone Is A Media Outlet," is available on PDF here.