Alice Catherine Alice Catherine

Having an online presence in two thousand and eighteen carries a lot of weight on it’s digital shoulders – whatever you choose to put out into the world, the internet will always demand more of you. Creating for the internet is tough, and you can bet your bottom dollar that there are people out there just waiting for you to slip up. That tends to be the way that the world works – you can be the juiciest peach of them all, and there will always be someone who doesn’t like peaches. My Twitter feed is a place that often has me dwelling over my generations digital footprint. Will we all look back and cringe at how self involved we were? Are the Kardashians to blame for all of our social media woes?

As someone who loves to write about a whole range of topics – it does intimidate me that I might say the wrong thing, or not articulate my thoughts in the correct way. To be in your twenties is to still be figuring life out. Still forming opinions, still learning about the kind of people we are, and the kind of people we want to become…

In an age of witch hunt culture, drama channels, and people online dragging like it’s a bloody olympic sport – it’s enough to make anyone become a watered down version of themselves. It does worry me that social media is heading in a nasty direction – a train wreck happening in slow motion before our very strained eyes. Do creators have a responsibility to show their everyday lives as they actually are? Or is it perfectly acceptable to use social media as a means of escapism. Is it harmless to portray a kind of lifestyle that we don’t actually live, or should it be accepted as simply a bit of fun – a fantasy akin to the colourful characters of Sex In The City. As someone who has never found themselves photoshopping birds onto a sunset – I really don’t know…

I don’t believe that everyone has to be a role model – sometimes we have to educate ourselves and hammer it home that not everything we see online is real. Just like when we choose to watch a film at the cinema – often it’s for our entertainment. I rarely show myself without make up on, and you can bet that out of every image I post on Instagram, there’s a tonne of crappy ones clogging up my camera roll that didn’t quite make it…

At what point do creators online take some responsibility for the type of content they put out into the world, and at what point will consumers start to be policed for the damage they inflict on creators? Social media can be such a powerful tool – in so many ways, it’s changed my life for the better.

I’ve come to the conclusion that bloggers/influencers have a duty to be responsible with their content, but that we don’t all have a duty to be vulnerable and show our struggles behind the scenes. However, those who do should be commended, not picked apart and bullied for being brave – something that could potentially create a sense of community and make people feel less alone. I’ve had things written about me before and the easiest thing to do is to fight back and try and make that person see the error of their ways – it always just seems to be a waste of energy. If someone is going out of their way to be a mean person – that’s to do with their own insecurities and their own projections of their experiences onto you. I really hope people start to consider how powerful their words are to the other person behind the screen. Lets always strive to be kind, treat others as we wish to be treated…

or just unfollow. Say nothing. Be better. 


Photographs by Catherine Booty 

Blazer – Beyond Retro (similar here)

Top – And Other Stories

Jeans – H&M (sold out/similar here

Shoes – About Arianne

SHOP THE LOOK


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5 Comments

  1. Jane says:

    How do you feel about fashion bloggers and their responsibility in terms of advocating fast fashion? A lot of fashion bloggers discuss feminism but also promote high street brands that use sweatshop labour in countries like Bangladesh, where the majority of garment workers are female, get little pay and are routinely abused by their employers. This isn’t meant to sound accusatory or snotty, it’s impossible to be ethical in everything you do/buy, but I think it’s a really interesting topic that gets glossed over quite a lot.

    1. alicecatherine says:

      I totally agree – it’s part of the reason I invest in vintage and a lot of independent boutiques. I think it’s tough to be a fashion blogger and be completely ethical (we also get sent a lot of clothing), I just try to be as conscious as I can and to keep advocating secondhand/vintage/slow fashion. I actually don’t own anything from places like Primark, Boohoo etc, but I’m also aware that not everyone can afford to buy into investment pieces. It’s definitely an interesting topic with a lot of weight to it! Maybe I’ll do a big blog post soon 🙂 x

  2. Sora says:

    I’m also constantly worried about what I do and say; I’m the kind of blogger that speaks about the topics people sometimes don’t want to address. They tend to be quite controversial and I have to pick my words wisely. Even then, later in the week I find myself re-reading myself and thinking “oh, I could have said this this other way”… but it just happens because we’re all growing up in this world ^^.

    Sora | http://dangerouslyme.com/

  3. Summer Read says:

    Couldn’t agree more. My twitter feed feels so negative and toxic lately, no matter how many people I unfollow or words I mute! It can be scary and make us question what we can’t or shouldn’t share. Your last paragraph sums it all up really well x Love this outfit too, will definitely invest in a beret this year!

    Summer, http://www.thetwinswardrobe.com

  4. Eva says:

    It’s a really interesting topic in times where everyone seems to be present online. I like instagram to escape and for inspiration (mostly), but I read blog because most of them show more of the reality. Life is not just pretty picture, it’s also about the people who are on those pictures or are taking them. I wish people could be more aware that what we see online isn’t really the reality of our daily life. But again, it’s nice to have something to escape from time to time.

    xx

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