It seems as though we can never make it through the day without it. The constant thud of our heartbeats are in tune with the thump of music in our ears and the vibrations of our phones. The images and words fly across screens and through cords and speakers, and it seems as though we are constantly trapped in a bubble of our soundtracked lives. We are ensnared by social media outlets and electronic life. Myself included, we have reached the point where our lives on screen have become too big of a part of our lives on Earth.
It's 2016, and at this point, no one is surprised to see countless teens and young adults walking around with slim devices in their hands and earbuds in their ears -- looking down with the occasional glance upwards to see if an obstacle is in front of them. Perhaps if a friend is nearby, we may give a dull "hullo" and a wave. But what is it about these devices, the world that they hold, that makes them so much more desirable than the one we are in?
Social media seems to have become one of those necessary evils in society today. If you have a phone, it is likely an iPhone or Android, capable of accessing anything and everything at a click or a swipe. Teens and adults alike, and sadly, those even younger than that, are constantly living in an electronic world, equipped with its own soundtrack. But why?
It seems as though, for some reason, this world is not exciting enough or glamorous enough to spend as much time in it as we do our phones. Far more important that our pictures get more likes than his or hers on Instagram than if we see our friends at all today. Somehow "liking" something on social media has become a messenger of sorts. If you "like" someone's picture, you could be saying "that's a nice picture" or "I liked that because I have a crush on you, and I hope you noticed." Somehow that opens a world of wonder on a screen that is not attainable in the real world. It is somewhat like modern exploration of the self to indulge in social media activities. It seems like people who live their lives with their heads down instead of up are looking for a way to release themselves into the world or give their own lives credibility in a way. People are looking for a level of importance which can be attained mentally, perhaps, by the look of an Instagram page or the general feeling of a Facebook wall. People want the public to see a certain side of them that cannot perhaps be represented in real life exactly as desired. But that should be a good thing.
In the glamorous, sparkly, electric world that lies just beyond the pass code, people can put up lovely filtered pictures and poetic lines of something of their day and preserve it in time in their own way. Perhaps that is part of it as well -- that idea of lasting. But this shiny world is not the real world. And that's a great thing.
We should stop and watch the sunset. Not take pictures of it. Don't post it. Look at it, and enjoy it. Take it in yourself. Our generation has reached the point where a picture is worth more than the memory. That's not true. Memories last longer than pictures (or your iPhone) will.
So next time you hike, don't do it for Insta. Don't do it for the Vine. Do it for you. And yes, no pics and it did happen.
We all have only one life on this one Earth. Live it with your head up.
