First step towards freedom from social media dilemma
I’m loath to admit it but I too have a hand in promoting this sickness that has invaded our homes, families and relationships. Most mornings, bleary-eyed, I pick up the phone, scroll down messages on WhatsApp and mechanically wish happy birthdays and anniversaries on various groups.
Today I did just that, thinking I could now get on with my day without that niggling feeling of a pending task left undone. That I labelled it a task and have been doing for some time didn’t occur to me then. As it turned out, the birthday is tomorrow. There were innumerable messages like mine before the members understood and stopped. We joked about the birthday girl being so lucky as to now receive double blessings and put paid to the topic, but it set me thinking: Just what are we doing here?
When I was in touch with four friends, I made it a point to call them up even if it was once or twice a year. Now I’m in touch with 50 of the class in school and am going through the motions of robotically posting messages, many a time to people I’m unable to put a face to. Why has a happy occasion become a chore? Why has constant presence on social media taken precedence over actual relationships?
A movie doing the rounds on Netflix aptly titled, The Social Dilemma, showcased this malaise brilliantly. It presented in a semi documentary form, the true, hidden and sinister agenda of social media which is basically pandering to the whims and diktats of powerful advertising moguls.
Engineers are lured with obnoxiously fat salaries to prey on our minds and vulnerability, deliberately circulate sensational news, make or destroy businesses with generation of purchased “likes’ and ‘dislikes’ and present a distorted reality.
The very thought that every time I open my phone or laptop, browse or chat, some faceless engineer sitting in the choicest part of the world is watching my every move, noting down my preferences and choices, is privy to my inner most thoughts and confidences, makes a chill go down my spine. Of course, I am then immediately inundated with similar merchandise, products and material. My political leanings are recorded to be sold to the highest bidder. Popular opinion is foisted on me in the garb of jokes, forwards and feeds.
Ironically, I realised that the passwords on our phones are basically to keep friends and family at bay because the actual danger is from these massive conglomerates who own all our data, have instant access to our personal details and our foolish consent, too.
Just what have we let ourselves in for? A world where narcissism, jealousy, extreme competitiveness, power and money hold sway; a world that has conveniently disregarded empathy, love, humility and tolerance. It’s a world where you are found wanting if you don’t have presence on social media. To all my family and friends out there, I’m taking the first step towards freedom and have decided to delete my Facebook account, so please do call up the next time you think of me, as I will you.
I’M IN TOUCH WITH 50 OF THE CLASS AND AM GOING THROUGH MOTIONS OF ROBOTICALLY POSTING MESSAGES, MANY A TIME TO PEOPLE I’M UNABLE TO PUT A FACE TO