After around one decade of social media we are probably reaching another stage in using it. In the beginning, as it was a ground-breaking thing, there was lots of enthusiasm of people and no one was aware of what was adequate to share or not, how to reach a balance and do not overuse it.

However, time passed and we realized that things are more complicated than we thought at first. Algorithms of mainstream medias can sometimes be complicated to figure out and it is not uncommon to hear complaints of people who claim their content was not delivered to all followers. There is also the fact that content creators often do not get the amount of likes and followers they thought they were supposed to have.

Another point is that with access to so much content, some people are in “zombie mode”, scrolling down their feeds without interacting with anyone. The pressure for as much frequency and as many followers as possible can also be tiresome for many content creators, especially those who earn a living with social media and they have to pay their bills based on engagement, which fluctuates without apparent reason.

We have reached a point when we feel the need to have more control over the content we produce and the security of not having our accounts suddenly banned due to some infringement of the rules of plataform, regardless of being intentional or not. The tastes of audiences also change with time, so when it comes to entertainment, changes and variety are normal and have always happened, even some years ago. We still do want to connect as much as before, but we long to do it in a more relaxed way, without pressure of how our posts will perform and toxic environments.

It seems we have reached the era when the pressure for having many followers and likes is gone and instead the good thing is to have a good, constant, honest relationship with our audience, regardless of the amount of followers per se. I have also noticed people within their own “bubbles of joy”, where they interact with their friends about common interests. This is an understandable trend, as many people are already exhausted with having arguments with strangers about controversial subjects, especially related to politics and religion.

Talking to an extensive audience, often made up by people we have never interacted not even once, is problematic. The brain quickly has a sensory overload of so much information and we are not ready to absorb so much at once. Furthermore, not everything we read is pleasant or informative and we end up having too much stuff in mind that are not really relevant to us. Interacting with small groups of people who we know relatively well about subjects nice to everyone involved really takes off some pressure from our shoulders.

Everything changes in life and social media changes even faster. Some stuff considered “old” have been into fashion again, like blogging, closed discussion groups, chat rooms, etc., but this is natural as history is basically a cycle of things that come and go and facts often repeat themselves. This is not new. The focus on mental sanity and well being on line is also quite welcome, for obvious reasons. Maybe the time to talk to millions of followers have passed, but the few people who follow up your work are prone to be more loyal than ever and you will also have time to connect with them in a deeper way. Fair enough. Some stuff do change for the best.

Daily writing prompt

What makes you feel nostalgic?

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As a person who has loved history since childhood, I can say that it is very easy for me to feel nostalgic. It is a feeling I really like to have because comparing past and present, in my honest opinion, is the wisest way to make good choices for the future. Since very early in life, thoughts about the past have existed in my mind and I have always been attracted by older things. All sorts of old things: films, objects, photos, places, elderly people.

I also have the kind of escapism feeling of thinking about the past as a better place, when things were so much simpler and easier. I know this thought is definitely a trap and I do my very best for not romanticizing the past by reminding of all problems people faced. A good example that the past was not as sweet as we imagine is World War 1 and World War 2. If the world was so wonderful, those things would not have happened, among many other tragedies throughout history. However, I think it is just human that we imagine a place or an era when things are great so we can mentally escape our reality.

Something concrete that makes me so nostalgic is the classic films I love so much, especially the silent films. Sure, despite all problems we face nowadays, we have much more comfort and better healthcare than the previous generations, but seeing the slower pace of life, the extra time people had to do things is so captivating. I reach a point of physically relaxing while seeing those old films merely because the films themselves were slower. This is why I love to watch films in the evening, after a hard day at work because it properly prepares my body to relax before going to bed.

I also get nostalgic when I see really old constructions. It does not matter if it is a monument, a building, a house, etc. It is just enough that it was constructed a very long time ago. I find myself imagining how it was constructed, who lived in those places, who worked there and it is another very relaxing experience to me. It is funny that I have those nostalgic thoughts since I was a little kid. It is as if I have always longed for a past that I do not know specifically what it is, but I am certain it existed. A time when I was in touch with nature, in a slower life, when I freely went to places day and night. Of course it is just an idealization of things I would like to do, but the thought sometimes is so strong that it is as if I had already done those things.

I do not reject the present time by any means. I only do not like the increased urban violence and worse unemployment rates, but I know that people had terrible problems in the past and basic comforts that we take for granted were non existing. Another point is that nowadays we are much more well-informed than in the past. I do think that the current time gives people lots of opportunities and, if things seem oppressive, it is probably because some people and groups life a harsh reality. But if they had a chance to live in this world in a better reality, their lives would be much better.

There is a sentence that says: “The past is a place of reference, not a place of residence”. We cannot dwell in the past because it makes people depressed. It is good as a reference to make our choices for the future and learn with our mistakes and it is all. In all eras we have good things and chances of being happy, no matter how difficult things can be and we should use our current resources to make something beautiful with them. It is always possible to do so. For example, we live in an unprecedented revolution in communications brought by the internet, among many other cool stuff. We should make the most of the positive factors, adjust to our lives and life to the full.

I confess that Christmas is far from being my favorite time of the year. The crowds binge buying as if they were under some sort of hypnotism, the forced social gatherings (The worst part) with people you do not necessarily have any connection with, it’s all beyond my patience.

But being on my own, living my life in calm and tranquility among all crowds is very refreshing for me. I like to use the time to do things I have wanted to do for a long time, like tidying up specific corners of my house, engaging in social media, do physical exercise, etc. Rather than focusing on my surroundings, I do things for myself and it works beautifully for me to have more fun at this time of the year.

Nowadays, as time passes, it has been easier for me to be quiet than talk, to do things on my own rather than speaking up and there are many advantages in it. Not relying on other people for our way being is one of the deepest types of freedom we can experience. On the other hand, we are social beings by nature and it is nice to find a balance.

Therefore, I also use Christmas time to message relatives and friends with whom I have not talked for ages. Still, if I am not too busy with work, there is still lots of time for thoughts and the holidays is not a good time to keep the mind wandering and I like to occupy my mind to avoid any Christmas blues, which impacts so many people. In the end of year, people settle down and things get quiet, which can be a trigger to anyone.

There is still magic and joy at this time the year, but some people can feel sad, especially due to their past experiences. If you are one of those people, do not force yourself to be sociable or do anything you do not want. Respect your limits and ignore other people’s opinions. If you are happy at Christmas, please, try to put yourself on other people’s shoes and respect them if they are quieter than usual. We can and should all have fun, even those folks who are not into the holidays mood.

In an era of social medias, when the so-called content creators are supposed to create content that “solves the client’s pain” or “solve a person’s problem”, if sharing our innermost thoughts with simple pictures and focus on words themselves is still something valued. When we are supposed to look entertaining and knowledgeable, all that in a beautiful package, if simply writing texts is something still in demand.

Nowadays it is so easy to see everywhere on line homemade entertainment (the so-called “content”), often very visually appealing that I often wonder if people are still interested solely on words. Much has been said of the low attention spam of people, reportedly caused by over stimulation provided by social media. Personally, I still have attention to watch stuff and talk to people, but I admit my ability to read has been terrible. I have no idea if it is due to social media. Actually, I think it is because I have read so many things at the university that ended up being useless in practice that my brain has not still recovered from the overload.

Yes, I am also talking about the value of my own writings, if it is something people will appreciate reading. I know that perfectionism is common among writers and that, seeing so many people creating wonderful things, either in and out of the internet makes us wonder about our own competence and comparison is a bad thing. However, I remember that one of main reasons why I created this site was to share my feelings and it means that someone will eventually read and connect with me.

If I am just sharing my thoughts about the world, will people appreciate what I write although I am not teaching anything? Or maybe I have been into social media for too long and forgot what blogging is all about? Self doubt is common and probably what I write is far from perfect, but I have chosen to ignore this type of questioning and publish my thoughts anyway. Not because what I write is perfect, but due to my wish of expressing myself. Feelings are something we cannot see or touch so it is natural we wonder if people will understand when we write about abstract concepts and personal experiences. On the other hand, I have recently seen in Instagram entire networks of independent writers and it is a joy to see people producing culture and disclosing it somehow.

I confess I often find myself wondering if my texts even have a coherence, a clear beginning, middle and end or if I have just scattered my thoughts randomly and people cannot get the meaning of anything. I am trying to get over too much perfectionism because it paralyzes us and practicing my writing and it will eventually get fine. I hope you guys do not feel you are my guinea pigs. I write for me and for you, unknown person reading. I do not know who you are, but I know that words will make us meet, connect and have a good time. I throw parts of my mind and soul into the universe and I know it will give me good vibes back in the form of every nice people who are around.

Throughout the decades, my film watching has changed a lot, but I believe it has been the same with all of us. Before the advent of internet, I saw the classic films being broadcast on TV and I loved, but I had no way to have further access them, not only because of the era but also because I was too young. Sure, we could rent films, but they were mostly the most recent blockbusters and there was not too much variety.

On the other hand, I was lucky enough to be a child in an era when it was not unusual open TV channels show classic films, especially at the end of year. So, despite living in a pre internet era, I did have an introduction to old films. I can still remember my fascination by Bette Davies and Greta Garbo and how I loved their films. I also remember how wonderful it was to watch Mary Poppins at Christmas time. I even watched on TV when I was 13 years old some famous silent comedies by Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin. The seed of a passion was planted in my heart.

Then, time passed, internet came and it has changed the way we consume culture. Nowadays we can check the synopsis of films in IMDB, order DVDs even of the most obscure films, write our opinions about films in social media, blogs, sites, etc. I do not underestimate the era when we had to wait until TV channels show the films we like, but it is simply priceless to have legal access to so many things.

In my teens, I thought that I did not like films at all because I did not have easy access to films I really liked. Throughout my formative years I listened to lots of music, but did not watch films regularly, often not at all. It is a pity, but I see it as an inevitable consequence of the era. When I could access all films I have wanted I realized that I had lots of catch up to do, lots of great work to know. It took me plenty of years until I became at least a little less ignorant when it comes to cinema.

Hobbies are something quite particular. In some eras of our lives we are more inclined to do some stuff than others. Sometimes we are more into music, in other times we are more into films, etc. But it is a joy brought by the internet that we can search, research and get more knowledgeable in any subject we like, we just need to be willing to do it. This is a free, independent, relaxing way to spend our free time and nowadays mental sanity is something we should take the best care of. Positive hobbies definitely help in this aspect.

Thus, although I did not watch too many films in my youth, it was in this time when it was sowed the seeds of my passion for films. I could not go deep into it, but once I had the opportunity I definitely used it to my benefit. I never forgot the type of films that pleased me, even many years later. With the current exposure we have to culture, it is nice to take a look and see which cultural activities interest us most. Check if you like to do things at home or out of it, if you are more active or if you prefer to sit down, etc. and I’m sure that with only a little self knowledge you can find the hobby that will fit you most.