Amid this pandemic, young folks’ relationship with social media, and Instagram in particular, can vary on a day-to-day basis, or even within a 24-hour period. One moment you’re invigorated by connectivity and what I call false proximity to new friends across the nation or world, and you’re accidentally forced to process anxiety or anger-inducing information the next. How we thread that line and create boundaries for ourselves differs from person to person.
28-year-old Paloma Elsesser understands both sides of the coin. In conversation with GQ for their “Change Is Good” issue, the model candidly chats about the professional effects of the pandemic as she was on the cusp of a new milestone in her career (runway), how she got comfortable with speaking her mind on social media to create change within her industry, dreams of her own brand, and more.
When it comes to IG, Elsesser understands that her role in this moment is to use her platform to spread accessible information, do what she can, and most importantly take the focus off of herself in all of the above.
“I always say I am not an activist, I’m an advocate,” the New York resident said. “My whole life isn’t dedicated to organizing and doing this work. I’m doing this work, but I think it’s important to decenter.”
Recently, the model of Chilean-Swiss and African American descent has been helping with the community fridge in Manhattan’s Lower East Side (LES).
“As time has gone on, I just figure out what’s more sacred,” she said. Take note.
You can read the profile in its entirety here.