Think about it.. We live our lives based on on all these external factors but tend to forget to listen to what we truly desire.
As a young adult, living the middle of this technology era, I know a lot of people my age are consumed by the social media phenomenon- (Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, etc.) These easily accessible new mediums have definitely connected the world and brought togetherness to all communities. Trust me when I say, I think technology and social media are very beneficial. I am a strong advocate of technology (hence why my career path was geared towards IT and CS)- I feel like modern technology is a revolutionary invention that connects everyone. It gives great access to bring cultures, industries, relationships, and people to directions of growth, collaboration, and connectivity.
I feel like its so big and vast, that people are pressured to question their lives and forget to live it.
Since technology is so vast and big, it makes people feel small. The internet makes people feel as if they are nothing but another user. When you see all the people using Facebook- you are nothing but just another user. What makes you so special or different from anyone else? And believe it or not, this insecurity is applied to their lives. They feel as if they are nothing but a grain of sand on a vast beach. And they always have to prove themselves. They say that social media sites are a reflection of who you really are, but are they really? Professionals in the workforce are now asking to view people’s FB, Twitter, IG, etc. So with that said, users only post online what people want them to be perceived as- not who they truly are.
People these days will spend hours and days scrolling through people’s Instagram pictures, Twitter and Facebook feeds, or Snapchat stories… and that’s how they are utilizing the time in their lives. Like I said before, time is precious. Every moment or second we waste is a second we are never getting back. So why waste hours of our lives, looking about how other people are living theirs. And are people really living their lives?
Whenever I’m out with friends… People aren’t even invested in each moment. I’m at a party, and people are too busy snapchatting instead of just enjoying themselves and being fully invested in each moment. That’s probably why I always forget to take pictures at parties lol. What do you want your experience to be remembered by? All the pictures you were too busy taking at event? Or actually just having fun and living at the event?
Pictures are beautiful and hold memories and emotions, but we should’t get caught up in these mediums! I remember going to a cotillion (basically a sweet 16 for Filipino girls when they turn 18) and after the year preparation for this 3-5 hour event- all the celebrant remembers was taking pictures and videos with relatives and friends- now that’s sad… It happens all the time. Like at weddings.. People are too worried about pictures coming out right, the arrangement of flowers, matching color schemes, and consumed by the idea of everything being perfect, where they lose sight of the basis of it all- which is sharing the new journey and love between two people.
This applies to our lives- we are too consumed by the idea of having everything to go right, that we forget to just live in the right moment. We live our lives trying to impress other people. We are living for others, not ourselves. People do things and base their actions on what they think others will admire them for. In their mind, they believe “If I do this, I can show everyone that I’m actually having fun with my life”-instead of just doing things because they want to. Why do our lives have to be justified on how many likes we got on a picture? or how many views we got on a post?
