CAITLIN CAREY: This is such a relevant topic
The Forum AUTHENTICITY AND SPEAKING OUT IN THE DIGITAL ERA
Lynnette Lounsbury and Caitlin Carey discuss how to steward authenticity and speaking out in a time when opinions are at our fingertips.
to me; it is something I have often been thinking about and delving into the past year or so. To begin, I believe being authentic means that what one believes is congruent with what one says, and what one says is congruent with what one does. How one acts should be a direct indicator of how they feel and what they believe. These core beliefs define us, and they must be true and substantial. This core belief could be as simple as AFL is better than rugby or as deep as believing in intersectional equality. In today’s day and age, it seems so simple for people to form beliefs as there has been an influx of quick and easy media for us to consume. Children, youth, and adults alike are forming firm opinions based on information they read on Facebook, Instagram or Buzzfeed, rather than journal articles, primary documents, or books. This can be incredibly toxic, especially when it comes to topics regarding politics and religion. In saying this, I do not believe social media (or media in general) is all bad. It can be an incredible platform to read about or see people that are different to us and hear their points of view. After all, one cannot make an informed decision if they only are aware of one choice. We cannot be knowledgeable about the world and form real beliefs if we do not experience anything outside of our “normal”. So, while I do believe social media can be a massive negative when it comes to making informed and knowledgeable decisions (and forming core beliefs), I do believe it has a place to broaden our horizons and see other points of view. Whether we agree with what we see or hear is irrelevant, it is important to hear it and learn more about others and ourselves. I stay authentic to myself by making sure my beliefs are well researched, well informed and realistic. As well as, ensuring that what I say and how I behave align with these core beliefs and values. This is definitely hard, and I find myself slipping more than I want but that’s part of being human and part of learning. But I whole-heartedly find it easier to stay true and authentic when I know I have a reason to believe what I do.
LYNNETTE LOUNSBURY:
30
the voice
I agree with
