Do people say what they feel? Are we really listening?

Amidst all the running around, commotion and hundreds of voices, are we really communicating anymore? Gone are the days when people would write elaborate letters and wait for replies, or spend evenings in a park talking to friends. Today, everything is instant. Instant messaging has speeded up communication. What about the quality? Are people really saying what they feel anymore? Or have our conversations become instant and inane too?

The virtual world is a superficial one. Which is why people are increasingly becoming more reserved, for fear of being judged by a society where appearing happy on social media is more important than actually being happy.

So ironically, the more some people share, the less they show their real selves. After all, everyone loves a picture on the beach, but who would like a picture of someone crying after being bullied at school?

Are people even interested in listening to others? We are so used to talking at each other that we have forgotten the art of listening. Sometimes things aren’t said to be liked or commented on. Sometimes one needs to listen to people, understand their situations without judgment.

What a world we live in where we would rather post messages to random strangers than communicate about what is bothering us with our close friends? It’s easy to mask your emotions behind a bunch of fake ones, after all no one really sees each other without filters any more.

In the end, everyone wants to be understood. What is the point of observing someone on social media if you don’t know what is going on in their life? For a change, let’s try to be social in our real lives instead of the virtual world.