virtual weight off my shoulders

Read receipts. To be, or not to be? THAT, my friends, is the question.

It’s something I’ve been battling with these past few days. Sure, to you it might seem trivial, unimportant, or a total waste of energy, but to me it’s a grueling mental debate that I’ve been having with myself for approximately the past 39 hours. So what else does one do with this information? They blog about it. Why? Because it will allow me to put my thoughts and feelings out there, and like, three of you, will enjoy reading about what goes on inside my beautiful mess of a brain. So, to the three of you, you’re welcome. To the others of you, just keep scrolling down or go read your other favorite blog (if there’s even such a thing). Kidding.
Kind of.

Anyways, I digress.

I’ve had my read receipts on my text messages for the past year and a half. I thought it was nice to let my friends know when I had seen their texts, and it just felt, honestly, powerful. It made me feel like I didn’t care if someone knew I had read their message and didn’t respond. It made me feel like people knew that I hadn’t read their message, but I would respond once I saw it. I don’t know, something about it made me feel some type of way. But a good some type of way.

But a few days ago, it hit me. When I have my read receipts on, it makes me feel like I have to respond. It made me feel rude if I opened a text, the person on the other side knew it, and I didn’t respond. I hated feeling this sense of a responsibility to respond. It started to make me feel some type of way. But a bad some type of way. Honestly, texting became a chore. And a game. A chore of a game.

So since I was feeling overwhelmed with this conundrum, I decided to turn my receipts off. And you know what? I feel better about it. I feel liberated. I feel like I can end a conversation without feeling like a jerk. I feel like I don’t have to rush to respond to a message after I read it. I felt like a virtual weight was released from my real life shoulders. Dramatic? Maybe, but you don’t make the rules around here.

So, what’s the lesson from this post? Is there one? Maybe a small one. We can either choose to feel defeated by our digital devices or should I say deVICES (heh) or we can tackle them head on and remind ourselves that we control them, they don’t control us. Again, yes, I realize this is dramatic, ok?

Anyways, I’m curious, do you have your read receipts on or off and why?

thanks for reading!
chloe

when i grow up

What do you want to be when you grow up? 

It’s the question that has kind of been relevant our entire lives. From drawing our dream job in kindergarten (I fluctuated between teacher and princess, depending on the day I was asked), to writing one page papers in middle school (still wanted to be a teacher, and on some days, a princess), to picking our major in college (moved away from teacher, realized princess wasn't in my cards, and moved on to strategic communications), we’ve been constantly asked this question since before we can remember. The nurse in the hospital probably asked me what I wanted to be the second I came out of the womb. 

Now that I’ve started college and picked my major, I’m feeling like this daunting question has become a reality. I’m officially starting the path of my future. Sure, I started my path in middle and high school, but in college it feels more official. 

When I grow up, I want to be a creative director. I want to be in charge of the creative side of marketing and I want to help with branding. I want to live a creative lifestyle that influences and affects people’s lives in the best and most inspirational way possible.
I want to make change through creativity. 

In college, I’m taking courses that apply to this dream. One of my courses is called Concepts and Creativity: Digital Storytelling. Yesterday, in my class, we had a discussion on Barbie. Where she came from, how she’s changed throughout the years based on social norms, and how many people are affected by her… even college aged boys. I never imagined how much Barbie affected my life, but she can take the credit for most of my love of all things girly. Weird how such a, seemingly, small part of my life can have so much influence over me. 

Another class that I’m taking is called Idea Industries where we discuss the behind the scenes of the marketing and media world. You know the eTrade baby commerical?  Well the guy who came up with the entire concept came and spoke to my class. How cool is that? We’ve also had a ton of other phenomenal guest speakers, and my professor is absolutely out of this world amazing. 

Learning what I want to learn, and learning about my possible future is this crazy cool thing. College really is an amazing place, and I regret rolling my eyes every time someone told me that “college is the best four years of your life.”
Five weeks in, and I’m already understanding why it’s true.

Thanks for reading! 
xox
Chloe