Blog#3 — A letter to younger self
By: Shiqing Lu
Tags: Letters, Interesting Reads, Future

Dear younger self,

Don’t call 911.

Don’t mention this letter to any other person.

Hello, little chap! I’m you from the future, so you don’t have to be afraid; I’m totally on your side because I’m you. The first thing I would like to tell you is you would fail to be as strong as Schwarzenegger 10 years from now, so please work out harder if you would love to match his strength by then.

But I’m still proud of myself.

I’m here to help you prepare for the realities of life online in the future. You know I can’t tell you which team would be the winner in the World Cup or any jackpot. Once the timeline had been changed, you will get into trouble. However, I do bring some good news to you, which will enable you to have a crystal view and knowledge of the role of social media in the future.

In my opinion, revealing your life on social media is a double-edged sword, with both advantages and disadvantages.

What’s your grade right now? Grade Three? Okay, I probably know you are really into QQ, right? Please, don’t spend more money on membership because this won’t help you become more popular.

Let me explain how social media works in 2020. You can post everything online on different social media apps. I’m telling you, your favorite three are WeChat, Instagram, and Weibo. You must be curious about how you could get access to Instagram in China, right? Oh, good news, you would study abroad in Canada when you are 17 years old. WeChat would be your most frequent and favorite social media app because almost every Chinese person registers it. When I miss my parents, I can give a video call to them anytime without any cost.

The more surprising thing is Cash is going to be replaced by WeChat pay and AliPay, which means when you go shopping for something, you just need to let them scan your QR code, and then it’s done. Using social media app to pay your bills is a revolutionary change.

Trust me. It is so convenient.

On the downsides of this social media, I will tell you this, don’t post anything on social media because the internet never forgets what you have done. I still remember that when I was in high school, I posted a picture online, and the content was I was flipping my bird to the camera. Unfortunately, the picture was seen by my home-room teacher, and she gave me a severe dentation. Therefore, please don’t be stupid like me. You may think thumbs up can feed your vanity and show your unique personality, but you have to pay for the dire consequences that follow.

On the positive side of usage, I’m still keeping a good habit, which is reading and writing proses. I have a WeChat official account that is used to post my articles. I have many fans, and they like my writing style and always give some qualified feedback to me. You should keep your passion and never stop writing because social media can be the medium to show your creativity and thoughts. It offers you the best and fast opportunities to attain success.

I post articles regularly.

Lastly, I want to remind you not to spend too much time on it. You still have your life; you should care about the people around you.

This is your older self writing to you; I have seen it all unfold before me, positively and negatively. So, heed my advice, and you will not go amiss when you finally arrive here.

Best wishes,

Shiqing Lu