
Take Five With...Sophie Tweed-Simmons: How to use social media for good
As the daughter of KISS rocker Gene Simmons and Canadian model Shannon Tweed, Sophie Tweed-Simmons is no stranger to the spotlight. And with her must-follow social media accounts, fans like us get an inside look into what keeps her on the move.
When Sophie isn’t working on her clothing and jewelry lines, she’s speaking out about self-esteem and promoting healthy body image. Here, the designer and former reality TV star shares her unfiltered thoughts on how to encourage positivity with every post.
CLICK THE PHOTO TO ENLARGE:
GET CREATIVE
I look on Pinterest for style inspiration because
it’s a vast collection of photos and I don’t have to sort through people’s
profiles. I just search, “flattering dresses,” and then pick the ones I want,
make a mood board and work from that. Finding your own style is a process of
trial and error for everyone. I look back at things I wore in high school and
think, ‘That should be burned.’ Today, I dress pretty conservatively. I really
like wearing classic pieces in a modern way.
ADD COMPLIMENTS TO THE COMMENTS
Social media can absolutely be used to
boost people’s confidence. If more kids didn’t hide behind their computers to
say negative things and were more vocal about building each other up, then more
people would be inclined to share about themselves on social media. I feel like
people use Photoshop and filters as a way to protect themselves against
negative commentary. But if the only commentary coming at them was positive,
then people would be more inclined to share.
See Gene Simmons demonstrate his KISS makeup on daughter Sophie!
#NOFILTER
When I first started using Instagram, I
really thought it was just for sharing cool photography. Then I started
noticing that in some cases, it was more about a curated post than anything.
When I do use a filter on Instagram, I make sure that people know that the
photo has been altered. There are already so many altered photos out there, and
it’s not always clear to young girls that they’ve been changed. I think that if
I could be one less person who does that, then I’m contributing positively in
some way.
CLICK TO ENLARGE:
FOLLOW ALONG
My family and I all follow each other on
Twitter. My dad is really, really bad at using social media. He’ll tweet at all
of us and then I’ll have to go back in and add all of the tags and hashtags.
You know my parents! They’re really proud of what we do. I also follow The Centre
for Child Development, which is the centre for abused children that I work with
in Vancouver [she is also patron of the centre’s child advocacy unit, Sophie’s
Place]. I love to see what they’re doing daily, since I can’t physically be
there. It’s nice to get those updates right to my phone. I make sure to stop by
every time I’m in BC.
REACH OUT
I still think that some people are missing
the point of social media, which is to use it to share something about
yourself. Be social! I tweeted at Oprah and I followed her. She didn’t follow
me back but I wrote, “I love you. You’re amazing, and you stand for so many
positive things.” I think that most people on social media, especially
celebrities, are good about responding to positive comments—not so much the
negative ones. I just tend to respond to the positive people.