Entry #5: The real value of "like"

These clips “Prologue” and “Act one: Finding the self in selfie” just reflect what is happening with teenagers, especially second or high school students. Because at that age, having the attention of other people is really important. They want to be cared about, want to be the central of the world and others compliments. I know that because I used to be like that. I used to check Instagram or Facebook every single minute to see if anyone liked or comment on my post. I used to be so happy when my post got more than 150 likes including my crush. So, I completely understand if the same thing happens to high school girls. Maybe at this moment they don’t know or even don’t think about why people like their photo. It doesn’t mean people really like it or engaging with the post, some of people who likes and who is their close friend will but not the majority, they just see the post and probably “like” it even though they don’t really know or be close with person who post it.

There’s a detail that I feel so funny in the “This American Life’s episode” is before posting something on social media, a girl said that they usually send it to their friends to judge and comment, if it is good, then it can be posted. This totally go the opposite way of the purpose of social media, that is sharing and saving moment. How that moment could be meaningful if it is prepared? For me, a meaningful moment should be taken with friends, not a selfie or be taken when I don’t even know when was that is taken. Moreover, the number of “like” will not really affects me in anyway. Otherwise, my close’s friend’s concern about the post is more important. Because the purpose is sharing and saving the moment so that is for years later, when I look back, I could see those memorable memories.

When I listened to those clips, I felt like they are talking about me a year ago, but then, thank to Michelle Obama’s speech in 2015, I realized that there are more things more significant should be don’t than sitting on furniture and checking Instagram or Facebook. She said, “If I had worried about who liked me and who thought I was cute when I was your age, I wouldn’t be married to the president of the United State.” She advised girls should better focus on study than care about what people think about us. If teenagers just waste time in concerning how many likes or who comment on their post, they wouldn’t be success in the future