25-04
An Honest Essay By A 23 Year Old.
I feel confused about a lot of things right now. Being 23 in 2025, it has been an interesting process for me to reflect on what space I want to take up in the world as a young adult. While that is a big question and I don’t have a full answer, I have made some progress in figuring out why this question is so important to me.
Consumption defines us in many ways. Whether through social media algorithms or the news we are exposed to, what we digest and consume shapes who we are and how we see the world. My biggest problem with this consumption is that it often happens unconsciously—it is something we created and have now accepted as a norm of our reality.
In a time when people consume social media and news at such a rapid pace—and when new media is constantly being created to promote products, companies, and overall consumerism—I feel lost. I know that I’m not perfect; I consume this media as well. I also recognize that media plays a complex role in our society and cannot be labeled as entirely good or bad—it has become a dynamic entity. But as a young adult, I’ve come to realize that the responsibility now falls on the consumer to learn how to consume responsibly. In reality, that is our purchasing power, because this media will continue to exist for the foreseeable future.
Still, I feel morally opposed to working for an algorithm. I guess that sounds silly, but I don’t want to constantly have to feed this beast in the hope that maybe it will reward me. I don’t know how to oppose it quite yet, especially because what I want to do falls directly into this beast’s nest.
Turning back to the question of what space I want to take up in the world, I’ve realized that this is an opportunity to be congruent with my beliefs as someone who wants to create. What I do know is that creative burnout is real, especially in this day and age, where success is often defined by how much content you can produce rather than its depth or meaning.
This is where I feel clear about how I want to hold space as a young adult. I realize that what I create is about connection, interaction, and reflection. I want to work with people, connect with people, and encourage internal reflection. But in many ways, that goes against the space and conditions I am working in.
Still, I am going to try my best to make this space my own, grow at my own pace, stay true to myself, and allow myself to grow for me—not as bait for the beast. I feel that this is the only way I can create, and the only way I could begin any entrepreneurial endeavor.
I guess, at the end of the day, I want to be congruent. If my creative projects are rooted in intentionality and patience, then creating a bunch of media just to chase algorithmic rewards doesn’t feel true to me. Instead, I want to create naturally, allowing things to unfold slowly in a way that reflects my reality and my commitment to my values.
Figuring out what space I want to take up in the world is an important question because it puts me in conversation with others. It allows me to examine how things are done and consider how I want to do them differently. It gives me space to think, experiment, and grow in that direction. Ultimately, this question matters to me because reflecting on it compels me to act. I know I don’t want my current projects—my website, blog, and design work—to be just another thing that is consumed. I want them to spark conversation and inspire reflection.