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Lately, I’ve talked a lot about the ways social media and online interactions can be toxic, and they certainly can, but today I want to explore the positive things happening on social media.

Sienna Mae Gomez TikTok

One beautiful opportunity the internet has provided us with is connection and visibility. I think in the last 10 years, social media has become a place where we can learn and grow by connecting to the stories of other people whose lives look much different than our own. Our understanding is often limited by our own experience, and social media humanizes other people’s stories by attaching faces to them, allowing us to more deeply empathize.
But how do we find these stories? How do we connect with these people?
One way is through creators with larger followings who use their platforms to support the stories of others. Hailey Bieber is a great example.
If you already follow her, you know that Hailey’s social media is regularly taken over by experts in different fields to share important information about voting rights, women’s health issues, support for people of color, and more.
What I really love about Hailey’s approach is that she doesn’t try to explain the information herself, because she knows she’s not the expert. She interacts with them in a setting where both she and her audience can learn together at the same time. Of course, she’s familiar with a lot of the information, but she lets the experts take the lead, which I think is so crucial to making sure you’re using your platform responsibly and not spreading misinformation. Her willingness to let others take center stage on her platforms shows both humility and integrity, and in my opinion should be the model for other creators.

In addition to being a model and advocate, Hailey is also known internet-wide as a skincare guru. Her Youtube channel is filled with comments begging for her skincare routine, and her highly anticipated line, Rhode. Since Black History Month in February, Hailey has used her platform to shoutout Black-owned skincare and makeup brands that she personally uses, which I think is a great way to support the community and still create content that feels relevant to her channel.
Moving forward in my own social media, I feel inspired by her to use my own platforms to shed light on issues with the help of storytellers who may be closer to the stories than I am in my own experience, and support brands that are owned by people of color, women, and other marginalized communities who are creating amazing things that deserve to be seen on a larger stage.
If you have any brands you think I should shoutout in my next blog post or review in a Youtube video, please email them to contact@siennamaegomez.com so my team and I can check them out! <3

Sienna Mae Gomez