The South Asian Social Media Link

I’ve seen too much feel-good shit on the Internet lately, and my inner hater couldn’t take it.  Let’s label this “Thoughts from a South Asian female living in a post-Nina society”  (that’s Miss America, Nina D).  So Nina represents all the progress the South Asian community has made in America: she’s not fair-skinned, she’s looking to improve STEM careers, and she’s future Dr. Davuluri, whatever.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad she’s Miss America; I think she’s beautiful, and I’m happy for South Asians.  But the overhype was dumb, and we’ve still got issues.  We need change to come from within the whole of the South Asian Community before we build up what is being perceived about it. 

           

Our social media activity is through the roof (hold your applause for the irony I’ve created -you’re reading this through social media).  Our craving for Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram gives us a sense of acceptance and belonging, and we’re constantly looking for validation.  Social media dependence is a phenomenon that is affecting all people and not just South Asians, but I worry that our community’s obsession is unhealthy.  I’ve heard these quotes:

“Brown people get soooo many likes on Facebook and Instagram!!”

“She’s so pretty, but she doesn’t get any likes.”

To that second quote, what the fuck? Why?  Here’s one explanation: all our lives our culture lends itself for children to grow up in fairly strict parental households (compared to the majority of our peers), and as we grow up, social media becomes that outlet where our parents cannot control us.  Finally, we have a place where we can do anything and no one can stop us!  OR, could it be that social media is our own way of proving we have cool lives too?  Can we compensate for the difficulty of being a minority in this country with social media?  Can we knock away the obvious South Asian stereotypes by revealing our entire lives online?  Yeah, South Asians are more than just those awkward nerds you see in class, we listen to rockin’ tunes, we’ve got stylish clothes, we go to hip places, and we’ve got pictures and check-ins and statuses to prove it!! 

Ultimately, our online lives help our rep.  Our South Asian collectivist culture fosters our constant need for us to feel “in-group.”  We follow social norms, we emphasize community, and we want to show that we have the perfect lives.  That one girl in medical school engaged to the attractive fiancé with the amazing job-- we’ve got to be like them.  Our South Asian parents place heavy emphasis on repute, and now in the next generation we choose to publicize our accomplishments on the Internet.  It’s all an act, and South Asians don’t need to be living a second life online.  The reason behind our fascination with social media is probably a combination of all of this and more, but the sooner we recognize we’re doing it, the sooner we can begin to live just one in-person life, not two.