I'll say this right away: never in human history was a person less powerful and in control of his life than now, when all the social media platforms are booming. And, especially, Facebook (with all its assets: Instagram, WhatsApp, etc.).
It all began as an innocent project with a mission to connect people of the world. Cute. At the same time they acquired (or tried to do so) all the competitive businesses and openly claimed that their sole purpose is to become a No.1 App in the world. Well, Facebook is a business, I get it. But we're the product. They try to keep as many of us online as possible, otherwise they wouldn't earn those billions of advertising money.
Let me illustrate this pathetic situation with a selfie, that I remember taking only cause I wanted to see how many likes I can get with a typical duckface and some kissy-feely look.
So this usual craving of being liked gets you only more addictive to the social network itself. And it's a perfect mechanism to keep you wanting for more, keep you trying to adjust your life (or the image, illusion of it) accordingly. To post more engaging content, to lure more of your friends to the network. And everything just to be more liked, to live a more like'able life. To have a perfect relationship, to travel the world, to always be happy - because it's the way everyone looks in the newsfeed. But it's all fake.
Here's another selfie I took after bursting into tears when I couldn't find any meaning or purpose of anything anymore. Do you think I've shared it with anyone? Nope, only with my best friend. Why is that?
Just think about it, when was the last time you saw someone crying or being sincerely angry online? It's rare, cause it's not pretty. It's rare, cause it's not likeable. In fact, that is the lowest scoring content on virality index on Facebook. Hey, but it is real. And people go online to escape from all this reality shit.
Ok, so people go online for entertainment, what's wrong or unclear about that, you may ask? Well, nothing. Until you start tailoring your real life according to the fake reality online. All the expectations how the things should be (or, in that matter, look like) and how everyone should act around you (if you don't post any pictures with your girlfriend online, do you really love her?).
I've noticed that I don't even know what I truly like doing anymore, since it's such an important criteria to be able to show something for the world. If you don't upload any instant stories is your life boring? Are the activities you're doing not worthy of being shown to the public? And what are the activities you should be doing according to the newest "cool" criteria? If you don't have anything to brag about have you failed as a human being?
OR are you just sane person, with proper self-esteem, that can stop being a product of social media and can start creating his/her life independently?
I certainly hope that Steemit community can escape that, since being rewarded for the content you make (a product you create, not the product you become) is a different thing. It's one of the reasons I joined it. Just don't feel that your own worth can be measured in dollars (or cents, if you're just a beginner like me). It's just letters, life happens offline. So stay healthy and love yourselves!
Power to the people!
