LIFE demands us to keep on going, come hell or high waters. But as we rush on, we hear of yet another friend or a friend’s child who is suffering from depression. More and more of them.
We stare at our cellphone screens, mechanically scrolling up and down, never seeing the time that has just been wasted.
Somewhere else, a young person has just posted something and has since been refreshing, calling all the angels there be to let someone notice the post, perking up only with every like.
The young soul, however, wants more. His very existence defined by the number of people who engage in his post -- be it just through likes and emoticons or through sharing and commenting or tagging.
The numbers are what prop him up to survive the day, to mechanically scroll up and down, the soul getting more morose as friends and non-friends gain more engagement by the minute, while his festers, ignored.
Sad to say, this afflicts the young (even the old) nowadays. The addiction to seeing our updates and shares and posts getting affirmation by the number of people who react in whatever way.
What a sad way to live; to hand over the state of one’s well-being to other people. And when there is not enough affirmation, then the misguided addicted soul turns to nastiness, to negativity, just to agitate people and force them to react.
At no other time than now is there the need for those who chose the spiritual vocation to reach out without condemning and bring attention back to what matters -- the enhancement of virtues, the worthwhile endeavors, the activities that nourish the soul -- not the cellphone and other people’s reactions.
At no other time than now is there the great need to bring engagement back to our surroundings, our communities, our environments. Not the likes and emoticons that do nothing to bring real feelings.
Let’s bring back the real meaning if engagement, the type that touches our hearts and souls as we look at each other and see the real self, not the mask that social media provides.
We can start by dragging our young ones to stop and smell real flowers.
saestremera@gmail.com