This has been written and rewritten countless times, and none of the words used have been quite right. So, with that in mind, plain and to the point seems appropriate. It doesn’t need dressing up or a big build up. It is a statement of fact.
The events of the past year have been horrifying.
As a human; As a woman; As a mother.
On every level I’ve been horrified and shocked at what humans can and will do to each other.
In my personal life, I’ve stepped back from social media, news bulletins and newspaper racks. Not so that I am uninformed or unaware, but so that I don’t over think and catastrophise or worry about things that can’t be second guessed or changed. This isn’t the first time we’ve felt this way, and we are sure it won’t be the last.
Social media has become a breeding ground of information sharing, but also of misinformation sharing. The constant stream of images, of videos, of statements. It is overwhelming. It is not what I, personally, want from social media. I want to be entertained not horrified, sickened and worried for the future of humanity when scrolling.
Stepping back from social media, when you use it to promote your business, is tough. The algorithm punishes you, the website traffic drops, sales drop. But this, in the grand scheme of things, is minor. I could post an image, a stance, on world events – but what does that achieve? Yet still trying to promote our wares seems wrong. Catch 22 defined!
This business is built on strong values and principles. We are passionate about flying the flag for British farmers and British manufacturers. We are passionate about ensuring our overseas partners work in safe conditions and are paid a fair wage. As individual people, we have morals, values and beliefs. We are firm believers that if you want to see change in the world, then you need to do something about it. For us, that isn’t posting or commenting on world events. This feels like tokenism. Please know that it does not mean we don’t care. We do.
However, a post on Instagram isn’t going to change the world, our actions away from social media will – writing to our MP, collecting goods for refugees, taking to a picket line. All far more effective than an image on our grid.