welcome to chat #5! this chat features ruby dhal, an author and creator that i’ve been following online for years. her work is amazing, and you’ll often see it reposted on my feed. click here to buy her latest book- i can’t wait to read it!
tell me a little bit about yourself (where you’re from, age, etc).
my name is ruby dhal, i’m an author, speaker and content creator. i’m 26 years old (yikes!) and i live in london.
what does social media mean to you?
it’s a way of connecting with people from all over the world and being able to spread a positive message sooner, and further, than you would be able to prior to its invention.
do you see social media as more positive or negative?
i think there’s a balance of both positive and negative.
why do you think this is?
the reason being is because there’s so many more opportunities and ways to connect with people from all over the world which we didn’t have before. this allows positive connection and the ability to form friendships and reach more people when you’re carrying out charity work, or social campaigns or trying to make a difference in the world somehow. social media allows us to get the message across the world faster.
but there’s also comparison, bullying and trolls which come with the territory. everyone seems to be living some sort of ‘perfect’ life online and you can’t help but compare yourself to that girl with the super-thin body or that boy with the gorgeous eyes and that particular relationship which looks picture-perfect. when you have an argument with your family then log on and find happy families posting photos together and it instantly makes you feel low.
so, there are positive aspects to social media - the ability to connect, reach out to larger groups of people quickly and create movements that are able to have a bigger impact on people everywhere. but there are negative aspects such as - comparison, trolling, online hate and so on.
what’s the goal of your social media?
to impact as many people as possible through engaging and life-changing content.
what do you do that brings you joy?
i go to the gym, i watch netflix, i meet up with my family/friends, i read and write and all these things make me incredibly happy.