And Action !

There’s an album called “selfies” on your phone. It has 247 photos on it. I know you went and checked that just now. And no, this is not a silly forward or a horror story where there are exactly 247 photos, and MY face is staring back at you. This is a just a regular phone story which all of us have read somewhere.

The time we spend looking at our phones has increased by leaps and bounds. Our lives have become online stories for our friends and family. There is more Facebook conversation that face-to–face. We post how we look, what we eat, where we are , and a million more details of our lives . Not that it’s a bad thing. No judgement ! As a culture we are moving towards an “attention seeking” and “trying to be perfect” society, where acceptance is sought after, at all costs. We post holiday and family and dinner and breakfast and drinking and partying photos.We Insta #foodgasm before we eat. Check in and out of airports and lounges.  And wait for the barrage of likes and comments. Sometimes we are upset  if the numbers don’t meet our expectations. Better filter next time. Witty one-liner titles ( Must not forget!!) Find yourself in these familiar spaces lately? It is definitely food for thought. And no, please don’t Insta that!

Ever post something non-celebratory? Regular and boring?  Know anyone  who posts the grumpy stuff? I had a fight with my partner stuff? I’m tired and I want the world to know it stuff? There’s a chance we never, ever post that kind. Because we want to live in a perfect world,  and be acknowledged for it too. Social media offers myriad filters to enhance your images, making it easy to look prettier instantly. So you preen, pout, shoot and prune ! Ever heard of an ugly selfie? Or a headache post? Nay ! So go ahead and post those random, mundane images too !  Whatever catches your attention  ! On a lighter note, go #zerofilter.

I’m definitely not against social media, I love my friends and family and all their posts. but we also need to bear in mind that the next gen is watching. Every  move. A little diligence is the need of the hour. Online awareness and etiquette are qualities being taught  in some finishing school dotcom. Join the revolution so that it percolates to the next gen.

And be prepared to hear words like totes, ‘kay and adorbs from your kids…after signalling at them like a clown, to look up from their phones. I gotta tell you, I don’t like clowns .

Hopefully sorted…

Brindha