There’s been a lot of talk about Social Media lately… and most of it has been negative. And while I can totally see both sides of this double-edged sword, I still kind of find it amusing because Social Media: Instagram, Facebook, the Internet, iPhones… they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon… It’s a part of our life now and we can either accept that or we can resist it. But either way, they will still be there.

As many of you know, I use Social Media to promote my yoga business + brand, Sunburnt & Salty. Which has worked quite well. I also use Social Media Management as a way to make some extra income. Which is pretty awesome, too, because it allows me to surf and travel and live in Puerto Rico. And aside from all of that, I like to use Social Media because it’s a way to connect with like-minded people – to inspire and to collaborate, to support and to unify. I’m fortunate that Social Media has given me some incredible opportunities and has allowed me to meet some pretty rad people… but at the end of the day, I know that Instagram is not real life. And the amount of Likes or Followers you have doesn’t make you any better than anyone else. And that nothing can compare to actual human interaction (without any screens involved, of course).

So in a way I can relate to this Ted Talks with Rachel Brathen and I appreciate her honesty and openness and integrity. Because Social Media is so much more than emaciated 16-year-old models. Social Media can be used as a POWERFUL vehicle for POSITIVE change. It’s up to you how you use it, and it’s also up to you how you let it influence you. Choose to keep it real.