The social media is a revolution that changed the world. It helps us stay connected with friends and family. We know, what’s happening in their lives and at the same time, they also know what we are up to. The best part is, it is not restricted to people we know. If you want to know about someone, check out their Facebook profile and you’ll know everything about their “public” life.
As and when we have time, we are compelled to check what everyone else is up to. Starting from Facebook newsfeeds, everyone seems to be out with an ideal group of friends. Scrolling on to Instagram feeds, those perfect clicks at perfect destinations. Then WhatsApp statuses, birthday wishes, live videos, trendiest outfits and to sum everything up the stories full of partying, friends, food, or a so-called “good time”. What is the first thing, we do when we have a plan of our own? “Wait a minute, let me share it.”
We all are so obsessed with the idea of a “perfect” life. We create a ‘Show’cial reality, where our mission is to prove that we have fun in our lives and everything is exciting. I came across a video sometime back, called “Are You Living an Insta Lie” posted by Ditch the Label. Somethings may be exaggerated but this is what we do knowingly or unknowingly.
https://www.facebook.com/DitchtheLabel/videos/10154097367221008/
The social media platforms have given us a big screen to hide behind, after all its media. We create our timelines, which allow others to perceive our lives as we project them online. What kind of photo would we like the world to see? Definitely not the one we find unappealing. Or, would we like to post a photo which you don’t what your followers to see?
We want to show the world that even though our lives aren’t perfect. We can create something interesting online. Social media is a world in itself. It is the only place we can escape the reality and create the one we want. It would have been a great world if we didn’t have to prove anything to anyone. Which we definitely shouldn’t, anyway.
The social media should be there to connect people, it changes how we see the world. We don’t want our friends to think we are lonely, so we post photos and statuses showing “we are having fun.” The person going through the feeds will post something else and the chain continues, result – all these lonely people will remain lonely. The social media could have helped, but who am I fooling? It is a competition, or at least seems so.
While writing this, I have already got some notifications – about friends partying, going live even if one can’t see anything in a disc. This seems perfect, but the reality is a settlement, we were all planning to go on a trip this weekend. Nothing agreed upon and now they are showcasing a perfect picture. Social media is often a lie or a fake reality. Or at least, it is not the full story. Something that was intended to be a way to stay connected ended up being a perfect, glamorous reflection of people’s best lives. Plus sometimes, the fake lives. Or in a way the photoshopped lives.
Do we really think of what we are liking and what we aren’t? Or this reality is so compelling that we can’t live without our social media image?
If you ever think that your life is not so “perfect”, think again. Whatever you see on social media is not always true. Sometimes the people who post the most are the loneliest ones. Use it as a tool, to stay connected, to share your opinion, to share ideas. Try to be your original self, make a proper use of it. Don’t think of it as an evil, it is what you intend it to be.
Please share what you think, not what appears to be a majority vote. “Like” if you really like something. Make social media a social world not a “SHOW”cial world.
