Mirror, Mirror...
by Charlotte Bennardo
Social media versus real connections. Or, escaping vs. facing reality. I'm taking the mirror position, it's both, one a reflection of the other. On social media there is so much 'fakeness'; people pretending to be something they're not (I'm looking at YOU, fake Tom Brady. The real Brady would never chat me up to see how he could help make my books a success in a 'partnership'.) Or the people who direct message me that they can make me a bestseller. (If they're a bestselling author like they claim, why aren't they making more bestsellers? There's way more money in that than coaching other writers.) Sometimes it's hard to decipher the real from the fake.
BUT (there's always a 'but'), I have made real connections: editors, authors, agent or two, average people, and really-sympathetic-to-our-current-plight Canadians. I couldn't meet all these people in real life, as they're spread out all over the world, but I can through social media. There are a few that I could possibly meet up with at conferences and events, some who've given me great advice or a laugh, and some who've shared their struggles. Those are real connections, even if it's mostly only over the internet.
Escaping reality? Yes, social media is the place for that because I can link up with people or groups of various demographics (like US Navy Blue Angels pilots LCDR Amanda Lee- go girl!), and forget what's going on in the world and at home. Instagram is great for losing one's self in a world of feisty kittens, reckless thrill seekers, fairyland coronations, and artists showcasing their talents. It's a respite from all the burdens that are waiting for us once we disconnect. However, even on social media, we're faced with reality, we can never really escape it. Opinions, posts, memes, and discussions of what's happening all around us is never far away. One post is someone celebrating a book release, the next is someone grieving the loss of a loved one. One day we're jubilant about blooming daffodils, the next we're lamenting an injury.
The value in social media is using it for fun, to escape reality, and also for facing reality, reaching out past our community.
So let's chat! I have great cat pictures.... ;)
Charlotte can't wait for the debut of her new YA fantasy, The Excalibur Vow, due out this summer. She writes MG, YA, NA, and adult novels and short stories in sci fi, fantasy, contemporary, horror, paranormal and romance genres. She is the author of the award-winning middle grade Evolution Revolution trilogy: Simple Machines, Simple Plans, and Simple Lessons. She co-authored the YA novels Blonde OPS, Sirenz, and Sirenz Back in Fashion. She has several short stories in anthologies and online, along with newspaper and magazine articles. Having finished her MFA, she's applying what she learned, and is working on several children's and adult novels and short stories. She lives in NJ but dreams of a Caribbean beach house. And more cats.
I've gotten a ton of good art tips from short-form vids on Instagram. Social media can absolutely be kind of a cesspool of fakeness, but it can also be really useful.
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