“Self Portrait” by Katie McDowell (18), New Orleans Center for Creative Arts "An Old Man in Military Costume" by Simone Wuttke (18), Dartmouth College (recent Benjamin Franklin High School graduate) "This oil on canvas painting is inspired by Rembrandt's 'An Old...
How Do You Rule Social Media?
Snapchat and Instagram and other social media can be super fun and a nice distraction from everything you have going on. It’s also sometimes easier to communicate with others through social media than it is in real life, but you should ask yourself:
Are you ruling social media? Or is social media ruling you?
“I mostly follow my family and people from school because it helps me avoid bad influences on social media.”
“Sometimes people get into bad things like posting nude pictures or videos of themselves and it causes trauma for them and they can get bullied.”
Girls, any awesome recs for not letting social media rule you?
Roslyn
“Put your phone down and go outside more! Instead of going on my social media a lot, I like to play with my pets and cook baked potatoes, mac and cheese, alfredo pasta, and pizza.”
Za’Nya
“You can take your mind off of social media by doing outdoor activities. Social media can be distracting and fake so it’s nice to do something in the real world.”
Khaila
“I turn my notifications off!”
Christina
“I don’t have social media because my mom doesn’t want me to get into any drama and she doesn’t want anyone bad, like a predator, to be able to get to me. It doesn’t bother me that some of my friends have it, so I don’t feel left out.”
Nadia
“You don’t need social media to be popular and show who you are. Be yourself because you don’t have to hide who you are and how you feel about yourself just to show off to the world. Sometimes people put on a front for social media.”
Skylar
“I don’t care about likes.”
“Sometimes people get into bad things like posting nude pictures or videos of themselves and it causes trauma for them and they can get bullied.”
Taylor
“Just because other people have social media doesn’t mean it’s important for you to have it. You can still keep up with people in other ways. I keep up with my friends by not only texting or calling them (I check in with them constantly to see what’s going on with them and how they are feeling) but also planning things for me and my friends to do together. My favorite thing to do with my friends is going to the movies or just hanging out at my house because it’s fun just to be around people who care about you and who you care about.”
Nadia
“You don’t have to do what your friends do. Don’t give in to peer pressure. Do what feels right and makes you feel good about yourself!”
Nyra
“You can use social media positively by complimenting people!”
Taylor
“I rule my social media by being myself and being positive because if you’re positive, nothing can get to you. Imperfection is where it’s at because overall no one is perfect and if you embrace your imperfections, it’s like you are embracing yourself as your own unique individual. There can only be one you so why try to make yourself perfect when the reason you are YOU is because of what makes you different and what makes you stand out from the rest.”
“I’m glad I don’t have social media because I don’t want drama and I don’t want any creepy people to be able to be around me.”
Alajah
“Social media is useful to raise awareness about different causes. If you feel like social media isn’t being used in a positive way, you could make a campaign to talk about bullying and social media use through social media.”
The mission of WYSE (Women and Youth Supporting Each Other) is to empower young women by providing the resources and support necessary to make positive life choices and create community change. Follow @tulane.wyse to see more from the girls at Langston Hughes Academy and the Tulane students behind WYSE!