This article was written by Pipo Gonzales for Lifestyle Asia’s May 2019 edition, titled “The Age of Social Media.”
Born at the turn of the millennium, Juliana was a witness to the great advancements of mobile technology. Reminiscing about the time when touch-screen digital phones were still unheard of, Juliana talks about the huge differences in terms of design and technology of the early mobile phones from their counterparts today. She jests, “I feel like people were so much happier before!”
RELATED READS: Manila’s Original It Girl: Celine Lopez is Still Alive and Kicking
Being real on social media
As of writing, her Instagram account @gomezjuliana has around 843k followers. Regardless of her reach and following, Juliana doesn’t see herself as an influencer, “I don’t know anything about being an influencer because I don’t see myself as one. It’s like when people ask me what it’s like being an influencer, I just don’t know what to say because I just post what I really want to post.”
Juliana shares, “People don’t really talk about the effects of social media. I think it’s important to just really realize that what you see is not what happens every day. Not everyone looks this refined in real life. It’s not realistic.” Like everyone who owns a mobile phone, she also gets distracted with the visual feasts these sites offer. Hence, the zillennial puts her phone down every now and then to put things back into perspective.
RELATED READS: #GirlBoss: Jessica Wilson Tells How Sunnies Face Navigates Digital Space
By the end of the noughties, the world saw the arrival of more networking sites. From the introduction of Vines to the rise and decline of Snapchat, users noticed an alarming growth of mental health problems associated with our constant need to be connected and be validated. There is a need for self-awareness and Juliana offered some useful advice on it. “If you’re going to be the carefree kind of person on social media, just be prepared for someone to tell you off. I can’t say that it’s a safe space because it’s not. You have to be careful. But you also have to stay true to yourself. That’s the most important thing—you have to be authentic.”
Read the full cover story of Juliana Gomez in Lifestyle Asia’s May 2019 Edition, titled “The Age of Social Media.” Download your digital copy on Magzter and Flip 100, or purchase your print copy on Lazada, Shopee or your nearest bookstore. For orders, email [email protected]
