My big, fat online identity crisis

I was 11 years old when I created my Facebook account. That was over 10 years ago,  and since then, I have been broadcasting a highlight reel of my life for the world to see. Undoubtedly, beginning the moment that I clicked the green ‘Sign Up’ button, being constantly plugged into social media for nearly half my life has shaped who I am today. Social media—and its influences on me—have evolved through time and place, manifesting on new platforms, but have remained a constant presence. My time and attention was, and still is, a product being sold to the companies behind advertisements on these platforms. The more user data that the algorithms of these sites collect, the more revenue they can generate by accurately predicting what content will keep users engaged. My social media use has become a habit, a natural part of everyday life, and I barely remember a time without it.