If you can dream it, you can Steemit!

Hi Steemit Community,

My name is Alaina Bryan, I'm 20 years old and am pursuing a BM Music Industry and Philosophy/Pre-Law minor at Loyola University New Orleans. I am a classically trained jazz vocalist, but enjoy other creative pursuits such as art, cooking and writing. I joined the Steemit community to connect with other creative people, gain new perspective, learn, and laugh.

So far, social media has proven disappointing to me- even toxic at times. Everyone around me seems to use it to promote and craft their reputations in whatever way they deem favorable. I don't think this is bad, but I can't relate to the attachment that so many people seem to hold for the favorable judgment of others. Everyone is equal, and there is no way to prove that more followers creates more happiness, so why is everyone so caught up? It seems fake. It seems wrong to assign value, time and energy to anything so corruptible and materially unproductive.

However, the internet is indisputably the most valuable resource we have ever had opportunity to exploit. For the first time, knowledge is free and accessible. It is within one's ability to learn about virtually anything. The internet has also given like-minded people a virtual community in which they can further develop their specialties and interests.

The difference, it seems, is the use of social media as a means, not an end.

I would like to be involved in virtual communities of like-minded people of all ages and backgrounds, but not in order to increase my own self worth, or that of others. Steemit creates this opportunity, and I hope that other people might read what I have written and be able to relate and learn from it, and vis versa. If not, it is still a forum on which I can purge my brain of thoughts or distract myself from the doldrums of existence.

The subject matter of my posts will pertain to reflections on existence, specifically the moral implications of modern social trends, art, music and photography that I make or like, and other miscellaneous internet flotsam.

I feel so disconnected sometimes, and I think the only remedy for it is to seek as many new perspectives as possible. That is my main initiative for joining Steemit- I want to use it to talk to new people. If a single person who I otherwise would not have known existed reached out to me on this site, it would be worth it. I will talk to anyone about anything. I love to argue, play devil's advocate, and explore human issues through debate.

Therefore, I'd like to invite anyone who is still reading this to comment (or dm me if that's better) issues that you would be interested in reading a candid opinion about. Or, even better, tell me or tag me in stories you find intriguing.

I think Steemit is a rare opportunity to share our knowledge in a way that is constructive instead of competitive. The magic of the internet is it's faculty for the creation of new communities. Let's use that to our advantage.

Follow, if you want, for more stuff like this. If you can relate to any of that^, please let me know I'm not insane.

Thanks,

Alaina