Zinobia + The Internet

Escape

I developed a love for the Internet early on. Honestly, I’m not ashamed of it. 

My first experience on the Internet was an online community called Zwinky. Zwinky was appealing to me because it felt like Club Penguin for adults. It had the personalized characters and the fun games without the comment restrictions. 

Everyone had access to Zwinky, even people older than me. I think part of me knew it was a risky site. I remember dimming my desktop light and turning the screen a bit so my parents wouldn’t see that I was on the site passed midnight. 

Zwinky exposed me to Internet creeps and tolls early on. Although I met some weirdos online, I didn't shy away from the World Wide Web. I was obsessed with sites like Zwinky, Meez, and Webkinz. There was something that attracted me to the idea of a virtual world where I could be anybody I wanted. The Internet was an escape for me. 

Eventually, I moved from virtual worlds and games to social media. I had different interests, but the idea of the web being an escape stuck with me. 

My first social media experience was Myspace. I took my Myspace page seriously. I spent hours editing my theme and picking out the best music list. I only posted the best photos! I carefully created my “Top 8” friends list. My page represented the version of myself I wanted everyone to see and like.

My negative experiences with social media took place before I was an adult. Even today, people still use social media negatively. People can hide behind a screen on social media. I was a victim of cyberbullying growing up. It was one of those situations where the bullying suddenly followed me home from school thanks to Myspace and Facebook. There is a sense of anonymity. We can see pictures of a person with their family, friends, and pets. We can view their birthday and where they go to school. We can see all these things about a person on their page, yet sometimes we still forget that they are real and we can hurt them with our words. 

I definitely see social media negatively affecting people’s personal lives in the future. I think many people are too careless on the Internet. That becomes clear when people get expelled or fired for offensive comments they post. 

When I first joined social media, my main concern was designing the coolest Myspace page. These days, I think people are more concerned about being heard. People love the freedom social media gives them. We can present ourselves any way we want online, but people need to realize they are responsible for what they put out there. 

Although I have used the Internet and social media as an escape all my life, I think it’s important we realize that social media and the real world will always be connected. You can’t put something on social media and not expect it to affect your reality.