Wooley made a fine point about the trappings of social media insta-fame and like-whoring (read it here). And it’s true, the world sucks. However – social media is actually the best thing ever… we as a community just need to get better at it.
BACK IN THE DAY, or as late as 2005, the car scene was grassroots, local, authentic. If you weren’t lucky to live on the coasts, then you were kind of stuck following the trends, or being a weirdo and hanging out with a few local like-minded individuals. Or worse – being an island all to yourself and eating paste while looking at smuggled Super Streets… but let’s not talk about me shall we?
The point is: the internet changed everything, it did it inside of 1 decade, and it did it in a bigger way then anything else the car culture had ever seen. It broke geographcical, demographic, financial, and all other barriers. An enthusiast in Indiana, Thailand, or a penguin drifting a 240 in the North Pole all had the same chance for influence & exposure as a high-dollar, Southern California corporate-sponsored build. We had a voice that manufacturers could respond to, and a way to communicate & grow events on all levels.
Finally, it made our projects better. Period. Inspiration from across the world, combined with advice & expertise… all pushed our own builds farther than they would have ever gone if we were stuck in our own small pond.
BUT TODAY – We are ruining that oppurtunity. Not social media – ourselves. Facebook, Instagram, and blogs didn’t say, “Welcome, you must be an asshole and preach proper stance fitment and modifications to participate.”
No – we did that. Just like how as soon as the plane was invented, the next question was – how to put guns on it.
But the good news is, we can make it better too. And that’s what S3 stands for in the community… or at least tries to stand for. To enjoy the fuck out of cars, and don’t let the negativity drag it down.
So here’s a radical idea. Say something fucking nice on social media today. Just try it.
