IN this age of online job-searching, advertising, and pretty much everything else, we have grown to enjoy a mounting–and exponentially growing–list of choices. Choices that are, for (again) pretty much anything. For this article, we will center on the choices laid in front of a freshly-graduated degree holder, attempting to better understand his or her predicament–either as his or her senior or junior. What follows is drawn largely from experience and that of peers, and so, I acknowledge the vast possible experiences for each individual, not arguing that what follows is the only truth there is.
Let’s take ourselves out of our own shoes: the precious, firework-worthy moments of your graduation have ebbed and passed, and you now sit somewhere scrolling through the internet with an array of tabs open. A few of these tabs are dedicated to what everyone else is up to (i.e. via social media), one or two are dedicated to what you tell yourself you should be up to (i.e. job-search-sites), and yet a few more are dedicated to what you’ve been doing for the last hour (rather than remaining vague, we admit, Netflix and YouTube).
This case of the tabs certainly isn’t the case for everyone. By no means is each and every graduate glued to Netflix nor is avidly watching Netflix symptomatic of anything. But one way or another, each of the three channels of the internet affects the recent graduate, and here I suggest that the effect is to rush and be stunned.
To rush. The first channel, that of the social media platform, is a monstrously large, incredibly fast conglomeration of individuals exerting their best efforts to showcase their very best selves. Sounds benign, doesn’t it? But peering more deeply into this showcasing, we may realize soon the game of comparison waged on these platforms–played with numbers of likes, places visited, and things done. There is strength in maintaining a strong enough sense of self to be happy with one’s own achievements and unaffected (at least not negatively) by those of peers. I do believe, however, that it is healthy to admit that as the number of peers continues to rise and as the number of friends we have on these platforms follows suit, this is a more difficult task.
We may not completely capitulate, but the urge to move faster, work harder, and follow what others appear to have done is strong. With friends appearing to have run marathons, gotten jobs, owned businesses, achieved something, we may be running in the direction of things we may not even want and quicker than is healthy. Perhaps we simply are not built to face the comparative jungle of social media.
To be stunned. Turning to the second channel, that of the job-search, we realize how many things we can potentially do. This topic of what to do after college finds its address not only on dedicated job-search sites but on the easily reachable platforms of social media, too. The sheer number of career or vocational paths to walk down present such a large number of alternate futures that the paradox of choice quickly presents itself. This paradox of choice is the large amount of choices causing one to feel less happiness or satisfaction with a made decision–even leading one to paralysis and scrapping making a decision altogether.
Dedicated job-search sites combined with the opportunities available on social media platforms, supplemented by what our friends and family are doing, create a far-reaching list of different things that can be done. This same juncture isn’t reached by everyone, some having come more ably to an idea of what he or she wants to do. But for a growing many, this array of possibilities is a source of discomfort and paralysis.
Concerning here is the possibility of being both stunned and rushed. It’s as if one becomes a large ball of energy without a direction in which to flow. It’s a place rife with overthinking and worry, but perhaps we find a helping hand, not however a total solution in, the third channel we have talked about in this article.
In the third channel, we are given space to explore and, quite simply, enjoy ourselves. Not limited to movies and shows, the third channel is similar to fiction in that it indulges our creativity. Rather than a constant search for what I should be doing and what others are doing, it provides a space for one to sit and just be. This, however, is not the space in which to sit non-end for that is probably just binging, but returning to a healthier pace and mindset of not constantly questioning what one should be doing should be prized.
The dangers of being rushed and stunned by both the availability of comparisons and choices in front of an individual in this day and age are growing more apparent. It may dawn now on us that a sense of self, healthy play, and exploration are tools with which we can more effectively navigate the path out of academia and into a profession. As someone attempting this navigation or someone about to, a pat on a back and the permission to enjoy yourself may be suggested. As for a senior to this person, having been there and done that in a different context, this may be a stepping stone for fruitful conversation–the times having changed so quickly with the advent of new technology.