Social media, a boon?

Snapchat. Instagram. Whatsapp. AskFM.

These are our daily games, aren’t they?

I remember playing ‘outdoor’ games with my neighbors back then, when we did not have these smartphones, nor those normal phones.

We used to meet face-to-face each day, and not Snapchat each other.

We used to make memories. And not click pictures just to post over Instagram.

We used to talk from morning to evening, but not on Whatsapp.

We used to ask whatever we wanted to upfront, and not by being an ‘anon’ on AskFM.

Where have we come today?

We judge ourselves by the number of likes we get on our Instagram, or by the number of people who view our Snapchat stories, or probably by the number of questions and the quality of answers on AskFM.

We, the 90’s kids, we grew up before technology took over our childhood.

I might probably be sounding like many of your parents right now, but just think about it.

Every time you end up wasting time to look good and form a good image in front of your ‘friends’ on social media, does any of it help you?

Every time you reply with a witty comment, does any of it define you? You might’ve probably found that comment somewhere and re-wrote it because you wanted to prove yourself ‘smart’.

Every time you end up giving more time to these stupid social media games, but not your family. Don’t you feel guilty?

“Home is where the Wi-Fi is.”

“Home is where the Wi-Fi connects automatically.”

Have we come to a time period where our definition of home is being taken over by the Internet?

 

All this that I mentioned above, does not prove my hatred for social media.

I’m a frequent user of all these applications too.

But at some point, I’ve put my limits.

I used to have people back then who would share everything with me when we met. But this generation doesn’t want to do that because it might be backfired against them someday.

Why would we want to do that?

We all have established our profiles and images and statuses on social media,

But is all of it true?

We all know what people are doing today, where they are.

But do we really know what is in their mind? They might probably be crying while posting that image today but they’re doing that because it gives temporary healing.

This generation has lost the power to communicate and understand that this human mind always needs to vent itself in front of somebody you could call your ‘own’.
No matter how much you try to vent out through those ‘angry emoticons’ you still feel like breaking something,

No matter how much you try to hide your sad face behind those ‘smiling emoticons’, you still want to sit beside someone and cry on their shoulder.

No matter how much fake you try to be on social media with all those captions, you still cannot probably spell half of those ‘artistic’ words you’ve used.

Why? Why do people laugh on somebody who cries when he feels like in front of all these people, that just know what he posts on his accounts and all you could ever say was;

“I thought he was always happy, that’s what his posts and snaps said!”

If you’d ever try to find out what the fake face has been hiding, you’d probably run away.

 

My parents always keep shouting at me to stop using the laptop all day long, or for that matter the phone all day long.

But they do not know that this platform has given me the freedom to express my emotions and display my talent to the world.

They do not know that whatever I do in here, on this podium today; is going to be read by 1000s of people someday and they’re going to be even more proud than they are today.

People like me, who have just discovered their talent of writing, or rather conveying their emotions or feelings on a stage, use this boon called internet to establish themselves.

I have been wanting to tell all this to all those people who keep shouting on me when I’m probably using my phone and laptops, that we’re not becoming weird.

We’re becoming different, this generation is the most artistic, vibrant and unique one.

This generation can do wonders, if you let them.

Any profession or any thing isn’t a ‘small’ thing for us.

Becoming writers, painters, dancers, singers, actors, and a lot more aren’t small jobs for us.

Because working as a manager, for a 9to5 job is too ‘mainstream’ for us today.

We exist in a world which needs love, compassion, hope, faith and belief.

This generation wants to be the ones to add all these components back to these people who deserve it,

And not destroy the peace that prevails.

We might not be the ones who would play games out all day,

But we have it in here, in our devices.

The most amazing music is created on these devices, the most amazing memories are captured on these devices, the most amazing artworks are displayed on these gadgets, the most amazing writings are put on the internet platform through these devices, the most innovative ideas about ‘DIY (do it yourself)’ are being displayed on the internet.

I have been using this stage as my way to put forward my thoughts and ideas, and help people get out of troubles.

I have people today, who want to talk to me because they’re afraid of admitting all their regrets, mistakes and guilt in front of the people they call their ‘own’.

They’re scared of admitting what they did because they feel judged, all over.

I have heard them out because at some point they thought I’ve experienced that same too.

Yes, who hasn’t?

All I wanted people to know who are reading this, is that this thing called internet has given me an opportunity to be of help to a lot of people, and I don’t want to stop being this person to people.

I want to help heal the worst fissures people have been through.

This platform has been a blessing for me.

Don’t judge people for their ugly pictures, or great pictures on their accounts.

Try to make more contact in the form of coffee-meets rather than posting pictures about having your coffee and adding hashtags under those pictures.

Try to make conversations upfront and try to read people’s eyes and expressions, because these things say a lot about them than what their ‘social’ profiles do.

You have the power to decide whether this stage can be a boon or a curse to you.

Don’t let it ruin you, just don’t.

Lastly, on a lighter note.. For all the 90’s kids: