Information is power. But like all power, there are those who want to keep it for themselves. - Aaron Swartz

This year I decided that I want to share For what reason have I not used most of the social media platforms? or I’ve been very inactive on those which I uses and does not share any of my personal activities( like photos, stories etc.) or information there. My hope is that those who want to know the answer or keep asking me WHY? can get my interpretation of social media and why it Makes my blood run cold.

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From my childhood I always been a curious child who loves to try new thing, but in space of exploring social medias, I wasn’t introduced to it for a very long time, according to today’s youth, who seem to be on Instagram and Snapchat at the mere age of ten. I actually remember creating my login for Facebook; When I was in my 7th grade my friends used to chat about the day and shares cool information from the internet to a facebook group, one of my friend ask me to create a facebook account and join to that group . He also told me that the platform is very good and you can see photos of your friends and family, now this made me very curious to explore facebook at that time, When I reached home after my school got over. I had been begging and pleading my uncle to allow me to join Facebook like the rest of my class (as he’s the only person in my family who had a smartphone and has a mobile number which I can use to create my facebook account ). It seems that on that day my dad became sick of my constant nagging that he finally ask my uncle to allow me to join Facebook. Slowly, without even knowing, I became addicted. I used to chat with my friends for hours and also because of a facebook advertisement one day I got to came across such contents which were Inappropriate for me at that age. As the world of social media continued to introduce new and innovative methods of communication, I was sucked in. Instagram, Facebook, Whatsapp, Hike, kik. The list is never ending.

The worst part of this and what makes me hate social media the most, is that before social media came into my life and my friends life we use to play Cricket and volleyball a lot and every evening me and my friends use to talk about many interesting thinks and play hide and seek and we together walk after dinner but after we all join social media we don’t have the willpower or motivation, to step away and breathe. We need to know what our other friends are up to, what the latest celebrity gossip is, what our favourite person are posting. During my summer vacation when my mom goes away to her mother home and I left without phone. I realized that how’s my friend who used to play with me in these vacations are busy in there phones and then I realized, I need to stop.

My hate for social media become more when I realized that from my followers on Instagram and my friends on Facebook and hike account to practically nothing. This is where my problem with social media arises; is it worth keeping up with all these people if they don’t really know you and you don’t really know them anymore. Does that make me a fake friend? Can I pick up the phone and just call? No. The answer is no, I can�t just pick up the phone and call a friend or go to their house. The reason why social media deprives me of this is because I feel as though having and relying on social media, makes it weird or awkward to just contact a friend or just to call them anytime or go to there home. Are we close if I comment on your pictures or are we just mere acquaintances now. Honestly, I haven’t had a single conversation with half of them and the other half equals to people I am no longer in contact with. I could easily say that only a very small amount of my friends on social media are the ones I would call to share my life with, to meet up, people I can call my real friends. I could probably count them on my fingers which suggests that all these accounts just create a fake representation of me.

Speaking of fake representations, social media has had a largely negative influence on me. It is not just a means of contacting people, it also shows you how you should look, what you should wear and how to behave, What new and luxurious thing and life you have. I spend hours flicking through various photos of me before posting it to social media which only make me hate myself more or Always induced a feeling in me that I want this or I want that. It has been so easy to look at models and many influencers and wish to be like them. This has made it very difficult for many people to differentiate between the media and reality.

Also a thing which sends shivers down my spine when I think of it, is that When I see people posting every aspect of there life or every moment or interest on social media I realize that how easy for the other person on the Internet to hack there life. Hacking in the sense that if anyone want to be your friend or come close or want to talk to you can change themselves or change there behaviour according to what you like or what you are interested in (Same as the modern advertisement recommendation is doing on the Internet) and that’s really scary for me to think of and it raises many security cancers personally and professionally.

Given this, I haven’t been very active on social media platforms or posted any pictures of myself in the last couple of years. Moreover, if you consider me a friend or are indeed my friend, I would greatly appreciate it if you could reach out to me directly, either by calling or visiting. Additionally, if you have any memorable moments or photos of us that you cherish, I would prefer if you could share them with me personally, rather than distributing them across social media platforms And letting social media intruders keep an eye on them.

Having said this, my journey with social media has been enlightening, to say the least. It has shown me the value of genuine connections over digital ones, and the importance of living in the moment rather than through a screen or Living the life that is crafted ,generalized or promoted by the other persons behind that screen. The realization that life is far richer when experienced directly, rather than living it to curated the feeds for others, has been liberating for me.

This is not to say that social media is inherently bad; it has its place and can be a powerful tool for connecting with others and sharing important messages. I have seen progress in the world of social media, people from many different backgrounds and of many different shapes and sizes have started to increase their followers and have shown me that you don�t have to look a certain way to be successful. Like I mentioned before, many children are now introduced to social media at a very young age and the fact that more people are speaking up about the boundaries within social media, has definitely had a positive impact on younger audiences and their view of themselves.

However, for me, the decision to step back has brought clarity and a sense of peace. I’ve rediscovered the joy in direct human interactions, in creating memories that don't need validation from likes ,shares, comments or justification from other people over the Internet and the memories which I share personally with the people I love and I care of without compromising my privacy to the intruders on the internet.

To anyone reading this, I encourage you to reflect on your own social media use. Ask yourself what truly brings you joy and fulfillment. If you find that social media is taking more than it's giving, perhaps it's time to reconsider its role in your life. Remember, it’s the unfiltered, messy, and genuine moments that make life truly beautiful. Let’s not allow these moments to slip through our fingers in the pursuit of a perfect life that is portrait by the so called influencers of social media.

As we move forward, let’s prioritize real-world connections and trust (which people have before the social media) , protect our personal spaces from the Invading gaze of social media intruders, and preserved the legacy of privacy and authenticity of our experiences. After all, the best parts of life are those that are lived, not liked, or shared to everyone.

Thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts. If they resonate with you, I hope you’ll reach out to me. Let’s make a willful effort to connect in more meaningful ways, beyond the screen, Let’s grab a coffee, have a chat in person, and capture and share photos and moments together, instead of waiting for them to appear on social media. ?