To me, I don't see social media as making us happier, smarter, more connected. I think it turned us all into performers.
At some point we stopped living our lives and started
presenting them.
Every meal is a photo opportunity. Every holiday is
content. Every opinion is a carefully worded statement designed to attract
applause from complete strangers who, if we're being honest, probably wouldn't
lend us twenty dollars if our car broke down.
I watch people at concerts holding their phones in the
air recording the entire show. Nobody is actually watching the concert. They're
filming themselves proving they were there. It’s astounding. We've become our
own marketing departments.
The internet has convinced us that every moment of our
lives deserves an audience. Look at me. I write a blog. The irony is not lost
on me; here I am writing a blog. But at least I'm honest about it. I don’t take
a shot fifty time until my ass looks just right…
The difference between sharing your life and performing
your life is subtle. One says, "Here's what happened." The other
says, "Look at me having this happen."
Social media rewards the second one.
The happiest marriage suddenly becomes a public relations
campaign. The family holiday becomes a travel brochure. The gym visit becomes a
documentary series. The morning coffee somehow requires three photos, a
motivational quote, and a hashtag.
And heaven help you if you simply eat breakfast and move
on with your day.
I sometimes wonder how many people are actually enjoying
their lives and how many are just producing content about enjoying their lives.
We are constantly documenting our existence as if a panel
of judges is waiting to score us out of ten. The strange thing is that most of
us know it's bullshit.
We know the perfect family photo was taken thirty seconds
after someone threatened to leave. We know the inspirational influencer
probably cried over a blocked sink this morning. We know the smiling holiday
selfie doesn't show the argument over directions, the sunburn, or the stomach
bug. (Please note: I had sunburn and a stomach bug while I was in Vietnam!)
Yet we keep performing. Perhaps because we're terrified
that if we stop performing, nobody will notice us at all.
Meanwhile, the Squeeze remains completely immune to the
disease. He doesn't care about followers, algorithms, engagement, or personal
branding. His social media strategy appears to be non-existent. Honestly, he
may be the healthiest person I know.
He's just living his life.
We like to put our phones away while out for dinner; and
secretly wonder about the other couples there who both sit, romantically with
their phones. I’d love to go up to them and say, ‘what’s so fucking important..?’
but of course never do…
Maybe that's the trick.
Maybe the best moments are the ones that never make it
online.
The conversations nobody records.
The dinners nobody photographs.
The holidays nobody turns into a highlight reel.
The ordinary, messy, unfiltered bits of life that are
actually worth living.
Of course, if you enjoyed reading this, please like,
share, subscribe, leave a comment, ring the notification bell, sacrifice a
small goat to the algorithm, and tell twelve friends. Apparently, that's how
we're supposed to live now.
