There were not many things I could say I excelled at as a child, but a classic game of hide-and-seek was an undeniable skill I locked in. And throughout my extensive career as a hide-and-seek champion, I had two rules when finding a hiding spot: first, hide in plain sight or somewhere close to it. Second, if comfortability is something you seek out when searching for a spot, you will inevitably lose. However, although I was the reigning champ, I eventually met my match: social media. And as I sat in my professor’s office to discuss my post-graduation plans, I hated to admit I needed to forfeit to social media, because it has become almost a necessity for those of us entering into creative fields.
I swear it cackles every time I have to make space for it again. My finger toggled the app around the screen to plant it back down. It had been almost a year since I deactivated my account and hoped to never reunite with its persistently anguishing existence. I found too much comfort in the peace I could surround myself with; but deep down, I knew I had to come back at some point. Most have the luxury of not needing social media in their lives. On the flip side, many who go into creative fields do not have that luxury; in fact, social media can be pretty crucial for us. It is an avenue to show off our skills, post updates, get or share information, build a community and a lot more. If you don’t have social media as someone in a creative field, unfortunately, it is a lot more difficult to find work or get noticed.
It is worth noting that creatives can still find success without having TikTok, Instagram, X or whatever else. For example, novelists can get published without the need for social media, and copywriters are probably not going to be reliant on it either. With that being said, filmmakers, comedians, actors, graphic designers and more benefit significantly. In a Backstage article by Benjamin Lindsey, titled “What Social Media Does an Actor Need?,” he interviews Benton Whitney, a casting director, on the importance of social media for actors. “When an actor comes across my plate, and I’ve never heard of them, the first thing I do is Google them… I Google you, I go on Facebook and type in your name and see what I can learn about you from there. I look you up on Twitter; I look you up on Instagram. I use everything, because I need to learn everything about you…. [Social media] is what sells you. I see you way more online than I ever see you in person, so that online presence is so important [today],” she said. Though this example is targeted towards actors, it still stands true for most of those hoping to break into a creative field, as your social media presence is what people will most likely recognize you from.
With that being said, there are many creatives that love having an online presence. There’s no denying it can be really fun to post new projects, or updates and find communities! But unfortunately for me, social media is like moldy avocado smeared on freshly made toast. It feels like it holds every inch of what it touches hostage, sogging up the crispy warmth of the bread. I have no interest in an online presence as I prefer face-to-face interactions. So, if you’re like me and are not the most comfortable with being on social media yet need to have it for your career, how should we go about it?
Firstly, don’t let it invade where you don’t want it to. Hide in plain sight, as they say. Only put out content that displays your work. Second, if you want to make a post just for friends, you could have a “close friends list” or create another account that is private. Third, consider limiting which social media platforms you have. I also found that using it solely on my computer or a different device that isn’t my phone can help distinguish a boundary.
While playing this game of hide-and-seek, I found that I broke rule number two. I wanted to be comfortable, hoping that if I just stuffed social media into a box and put it somewhere else, I wouldn’t have to deal with it. But there will always be something we want to get away from yet have to face eventually. And as creatives, we have a strong calling towards what we desire to do; we just have to learn how to coexist with social media now.
Photo courtesy of Unsplash.
