Living life on social media

No doubt, social media has a vice-like grip on our lives and activities. It occurred to me that now we have come to exist to trumpet ourselves on these platforms. Holidaying was once meant for taking a break from our routines. But these days, no sooner do we reach the local airport than we start sharing our photographs and videos.

Instead of chilling out with our families quietly on those beautiful beaches and snow-clad mountains, we concentrate on instantly sharing our ‘selfies’ with our friends back home. There were times when we used to downplay such exclusive privileges of travelling and holidaying; but not anymore. I might use the ‘travelling-to’ option with a small ‘aeroplane’ icon on Facebook to loudly inform my cyber friends that I am flying on a vacation.

Whenever I visit an up-market restaurant to dine-out, I am tempted to update my status. If still not satisfied, I can share an image with the extravagant spread on the table. There is no stopping, on social media. When the board exams results are published, proud parents post their wards’ outstanding performances (their A-pluses) in Whatsapp groups. The parents of ‘lesser children’ in the groups go silent for days.

The gratification that we derive from the response is immense—the emojis, thumps ups and claps, immediately uplifting our mood. When I sit on the bed of my ailing mother holding her hands, a strange and compelling urge happens to me; why not to click a selfie with the other hand and share it on social media! Well, I could be inspirational to others in this age when elderly parents are widely abandoned! Whenever death is reported in the group, irrespective of whether the deceased is young, old, known or stranger, soon follow ‘RIP, RIP’ messages. The acronym comes really handy to manage our social obligations when we are so hard-pressed for time!

Moderation was once considered a virtue. Not very long ago we used to hide our indulgences and check our celebrations, especially when we know that others, not as fortunate as us, are around. Photo-albums hidden in our wardrobes that used to rekindle our nostalgic memories are passé now; the self-promoting selfies rule the roost.

It seems that human behaviour patterns have never before transformed so rapidly since the rise of early civilization. The cyber-world has re-defined our decorum and etiquette in a few years. Politeness, sensitivity, empathy, privacy, and propriety have no place in virtual life. The social-media encourages us to self- market but unfortunately, we end up advertising our weaknesses.