Socially Stimulated OR Masked For Life!

Geet has a beautiful life. A loving family and loads of friends. Her wishes are fulfilled in the most surprising ways and she has nothing to complain.

Every time Geet takes to social media, she has posts flaunting her beauty, her travel escapades, her socializing, her family and even her pooch! Perfect. Isn’t it?

I rate this as a person who is ‘Socially Stimulated‘ to share her experiences through different social media accounts. Whether it is Facebook or Instagram or Twitter, there is something for every one of her followers to regale and go ‘ahhh….’

But, there is something drastically worrisome. She is ‘too perfect to be true’, she has the most perfect life, her posts are emotionally connected and she knows how to trigger a response. A great marketer, I must say!

She is addicted to social media and the ‘Likes’ or ‘Comments’ she receives.

Her addiction is stimulated by her peers, her relatives, her colleagues, and everything around her. She craves for attention from social media, often ignoring her precious life around.

However, she is slowly slipping into depression and no one even takes notice! She is ‘Masked for Life’.

She cannot accept less number of likes and always tries to find ways to keep her audience engaged, even if it means posting something absolutely measly.

My thoughts were completely stirred by a short movie that I happened to watch on Netflix- NOSEDIVE.

Nosedive- Black Mirror

This particular movie actually, aptly, captures the way we all are ‘Slaves to Social Media’ and breaks down what it does to us. We live under constant pressure to prove ourselves in front of all people, we have to be polite to people, even if we do not want to be; we are under constant SCRUTINY for our actions and emotions, we are not free to express ourselves and WE ultimately break down in the most horrific way possible.

This addiction often stems from a daunting desire to prove ourselves in front of our peers and the world- ‘how perfect my life is’.

Perfection is a Myth and We are its’ Stimulants!

-Ankita

-Ankita

We may have come across such individuals, even our friends, who indulge in such addiction, without even realizing it. They often forget to take notice of all the beautiful things around them, just so that they can tell the world about every little detail about their life.

People take interest, of course, they do! People are more interested in what others do, than what they do themselves. This is a reality, and a very pressing one too.

What does this do to us? It makes us slaves of social media, where we seek happiness in others worldly posts, rather than our simple life.

Being Social Stimulated is a good thing, only if it-

• Stimulates us to think positively.
• Does not pressurize us to feel negative about OURSELVES.
• Does not sow the seed of comparison in our mind.
• Helps us to achieve our goals.
• Builds a positive mindset that will help in our life and career.
• Makes room for creativity.

If you think you are slowly steering towards being ‘Masked for Life‘, it is time to put a brake on ‘showcasing your reel life’ and ‘paying attention to your real life’.