I was just going through Goodreads a while ago, to see when I last updated it. I chanced upon some of my friends’ profiles and noticed that they have read so many more books than I have. I have around 42 books on my ‘Read’ list and they have more than 100!
I thought, “That’s it. Time for me to read my ass off and update my Goodreads profile so I have more books to show off than them.”
That’s when my inner voice asked me, Are you even listening to yourself?
That moment, right there, was a small moment of enlightenment. There was no drama. Nothing. It was just one thought responding to another thought and yet, it made so much sense. Even as I uploaded the name of the book I was Currently Reading, an Ernest Hemingway that lay in front of me, untouched for hours, I realised I was being an idiot. People have passions – reading, writing, drawing, cooking, eating, making music, dancing, whatever. But I think, thanks to social media, people are forgetting that they are doing things because they like to do them.
I’m not pin-pointing at others and saying this. This “sharing” on social media is happening naturally, almost instinctively, and somehow, that irks me. I mean, you make a painting, hit share. You click a picture, hit share. Sometimes, it’s OK to take selfies just for memory’s sake. It doesn’t always have to go on Facebook. That’s not the part where you’re making a memory! You’re making a memory by clicking a picture. In fact, you don’t need the picture at all. You’re making a memory by living that moment.
See, it’s alright to share things online, but somewhere down the line, I think people are missing out the point of doing things for the love of it. There’s a difference between doing things and sharing them, and doing things to share them. Sometimes I see something cute and think, “Oh this will look nice on Instagram.” I’m forgetting that it’ll look nice simply in a picture. Why bring in Instagram into the scene? It has become more about uploading things online, waiting for people to respond, waiting for likes, comments, etc. Perhaps I have also gotten sucked into this whole thing simply because it’s so nice to feel like someone cares and appreciates what you do.
This morning, my sister wrote a blogpost. I told her to share it. She said, no. Her “no” made me think, “What? Then why write?” Again my inner voice went Dude get a hold of yourself! What are you even thinking? But, somehow, I coaxed her into sharing it anyway. (Haha!) Similarly, my friend, Rahul, is completely against social networking. Every time I click a picture and say I’m going to put this up on Facebook, he says why? What’s the point?
Exactly. What’s the point. Social networking is such a fleeting phenomenon. One minute your post is there and the next minute, it’s gone. I don’t think anything anyone uploads has long-term effects on anyone.
I know you’re probably thinking, “Rubbish! I don’t do that!”
But think again. It’s the most subconscious act, which makes it worse. So try and nip it in the bud, lest you lose track of your real life! : )
Swat of All Trades 