A beautiful girl walks into a coffee shop with her friends. They quickly choose a corner with a pastel-colored sofa and a window with daylight gently shining through the glass. After ordering their drinks, the girls quickly take some selfies together in the ‘aesthetically pleasing’ corner. When their orders arrive, their first move is not to sip their drinks but instead, they all get up immediately to try to adjust the angle of their phones for their pictures. Their actions may be perceived as comical, but in today’s society, we are gradually getting used to it.
To check-in virtually to a location is no longer a mere feature on social media; it has become a habit for many people. However, I don’t think every habit derived from social media is bad. The culture of ‘checking in,’ though sometimes an annoying habit, is tied to our present life.
People don’t just post pictures only to let others know which coffee shop they’ve recently visited or where they’ve been to over the summer. By going beyond the original purpose of simply announcing “where they are,” location check-ins can define who they are, how they live, and how they want to be perceived by others. It has become a tool for people to show off the best aspects of their lives. It’s a virtual visa, where each check-in is a glorious entry stamp of one’s exciting life.
Location check-in, along with the various forms of social media, is fast becoming a bad habit of modern society. Many consider this habit only as the mean in which Internet addicts show off their “impressive” lives. However, is that the truth? I don’t think it is a dependency, but instead, it is a change in the way that we connect with each other and express ourselves. I don’t see the problem with people constantly building an online presence. They are simply updating and enjoying their lives. I find the freshness of this habit captivating. I love the way people update new trends: the hottest restaurants, the latest exhibitions at the local museum, or the music festival coming up. With just some clicks, we can connect with each other—seeing how much fun people are having and all the wonderful things that are going on—without having to be in the same place.
This new generation is not about letting the virtuality of social media taking over real life. Contradictorily, it is about enjoying and exploring life by constantly seeking to create a trend, trying out new things, and showing the world their glorious life. This generation has a positive influence in a unique way by staying confident and not being afraid to share.
