To whoever reads what I write, I apologise for slacking over the past couple of days- I'm in the midst of exams and most of my time has been used to study... ok fine, to procrastinate! And so I, unfortunately haven't been able to do what makes me happiest.
It's almost midnight and I've given up on my work.
While roaming through my Facebook newsfeed I thought of something. Something to do with our generation specifically, something I am involved in but is actually quite (for lack of a better expression) fucked up.
Ask yourself this: "Why do I go on Facebook/Twitter etc?"
Your defensive brain is right now causing you to smirk as you smoothly answer- "To communicate"... and yes, this is essentially what we are doing on Facebook and it is our primary reason for signing up on these sorts of sites (although conformity may also be to blame)
But in my opinion, social networks (such as Facebook) provoke a spark in us...
A sickening spark: we upload a photo of ourselves as our 'profile picture' and with this comes the hope that enough of our 1000 odd friends with click 'like' and the likes will pile up.
So let's say hypothetically, they did (your 'friends' I mean). You have 30 'likes' on your profile picture of you posing by a pot-plant. What does that do for you? Does it satisfy your inner desire to be glanced at and cyber-spacedly liked within seconds? if so- it's phenomenal that you feel that way and frankly, I am delighted for you.
But... after thinking about it, I find it sad. Sad that we (you AND I) spend our time sitting still with devices on our laps, on these sites waiting for (usually FAKE) attention and (usually FAKE) recognition.
I must admit, I am deep in this dangerous hole. I convince myself each day that it is imperative I check Facebook: I must check if anyone 'wants to be my friend', I must see if anyone has 'posted on my wall' and I must go and indirectly invade all of my 'friends'' private lives by seeing voluntarily added transparencies such as photos and statuses.
And I'm not saying I'm going to change, but merely thinking about why we are so desperate for approval and recognition, so interested in minuscule details of others lives and equally so quick to share ours, so generous with faux 'likes' as we expect the 'favour' to be returned... it makes me think
why are we so addicted to transparent communication?
It's almost midnight and I've given up on my work.
While roaming through my Facebook newsfeed I thought of something. Something to do with our generation specifically, something I am involved in but is actually quite (for lack of a better expression) fucked up.
Ask yourself this: "Why do I go on Facebook/Twitter etc?"
Your defensive brain is right now causing you to smirk as you smoothly answer- "To communicate"... and yes, this is essentially what we are doing on Facebook and it is our primary reason for signing up on these sorts of sites (although conformity may also be to blame)
But in my opinion, social networks (such as Facebook) provoke a spark in us...
A sickening spark: we upload a photo of ourselves as our 'profile picture' and with this comes the hope that enough of our 1000 odd friends with click 'like' and the likes will pile up.
So let's say hypothetically, they did (your 'friends' I mean). You have 30 'likes' on your profile picture of you posing by a pot-plant. What does that do for you? Does it satisfy your inner desire to be glanced at and cyber-spacedly liked within seconds? if so- it's phenomenal that you feel that way and frankly, I am delighted for you.
But... after thinking about it, I find it sad. Sad that we (you AND I) spend our time sitting still with devices on our laps, on these sites waiting for (usually FAKE) attention and (usually FAKE) recognition.
I must admit, I am deep in this dangerous hole. I convince myself each day that it is imperative I check Facebook: I must check if anyone 'wants to be my friend', I must see if anyone has 'posted on my wall' and I must go and indirectly invade all of my 'friends'' private lives by seeing voluntarily added transparencies such as photos and statuses.
And I'm not saying I'm going to change, but merely thinking about why we are so desperate for approval and recognition, so interested in minuscule details of others lives and equally so quick to share ours, so generous with faux 'likes' as we expect the 'favour' to be returned... it makes me think
why are we so addicted to transparent communication?
(and oh...PS: pls LIKE ; )
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