I’ll be there for you... on social media

Man is a social animal, or so they say. But we face many circumstances on a daily basis, which we must observe to regulate with the norms, whether we like it or not. One such norm is a dearly beloved fixation – social media. Love it or hate it, you can’t live without it, or can you?

Chivalry and manners are fast fading in this world of instant gratification; do we have to give up expecting thoughtful gestures from each other as well? We go days without speaking to old friends and acquaintances, finding solace in their presence on our news feeds and showing our support by liking and commenting on their posts once in a while. What happens to someone’s worth if they were to go off social media? Would we actually make the effort to reach out to them when we miss them, or is that just too much to ask? The human race is blessed with the magical and life-altering power of communication, yet we have infinite miscommunication issues amongst us.

Through song lyrics, we claim to catch grenades for the ones we love, but in reality, we barely manage to catch their attention, because everyone is hooked onto their smartphones, or screens big and small. In a world where our relationships with our smartphones are more high maintenance than with anyone else, what more can one expect? Not competing with screen time and actually having a person’s undivided attention seems like a luxury or a far-fetched dream.

There’s so much to do and explore, there’s a beautiful world of possibilities out there, an ocean of emotions waiting to be felt, and never-ending potential. There lies wanderlust beyond hashtags and Instagram feeds. The sad part is that even when we do manage to travel, explore, actually live and have a good time, we are subconsciously thinking about posting the same on social media. None of us can claim that we haven’t posted a selfie to cheer ourselves up on a bad day. But if that isn’t seeking validation, what is?

Have we forgotten what life was like before social media? A world where we lived to celebrate life itself, rather than the number of likes our life in pictures could fetch. What legacy will this generation of Instagram celebrities leave behind, besides their feeds, which are nothing but exaggerated highlights of a make-believe life? Perhaps Einstein was right in his claim: “I fear the day technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots.”

The reader is a jewellery designer, based in Dubai