SCREENED

We're a society divided, not a nation united.

We sit in front of our computer screens, our tablet screens, our smartphone screens, our TV screens - literally living our lives through a screen.

We see the number of friends on our social media, the number of followers or the number of likes & believe that somehow, this makes us worth something.

But how many of these people do we physically interact with?

How many do we actually know?

If you fell on hard times, how many of those people would step up & support you, be there for you as a true friend would do?

Be honest now...

Think long & slow.

I'm sure you can count them on one hand, or maybe you realise you can't count any at all.

People have become a commodity. Friendship is nothing but a competition, a game, something taken for granted, a novelty we think no longer requires effort.

We have all these ways to communicate with people, yet we never honestly communicate, hiding instead behind our screens spouting lies of self-grandeur or mental stability.

We think that we can just message anyone at any time we want & sure, we can... but we don't.

Soon will come the day when you can't, when a certain someone who meant so much isn't there anymore. & you will see it on a Facebook post, a sad and solemn announcement & just like that, a person's life is reduced to a status.

How much regret will you carry then? How much guilt?

& before you know it, it will be your turn.

How will you be remembered?

As nothing more than a series of tweets or posts?

Nothing more than lifeless letters on a lifeless screen?

How many precious moments have you missed because your eyes were glued to that screen?

How many moments have you actually seen with your own eyes instead of through the eyes of a screen?

How much time have you wasted?

How many times have you wondered how someone was & checked their profile to find out instead of calling them or paying a visit?

Sometimes I wonder, are these sites that claim to unite us actually meant to divide us, separate us, segregate us, categorise us, isolate us & weaken us?

Ask yourself, do you still feel lonely despite your 500 Facebook friends, your 20,000 Instagram or Twitter followers?

Does anyone even know you anymore? Does anyone know the authentic version of you, or do they only see the image you portray, the image you want them to see; the image you hide behind - like you hide behind your screen.

A screen where we can watch the news flash by & trick ourselves into thinking we're well informed.

But are we really?

The media shows us what we want to see. You can't control people with the truth & heaven forbid they're allowed to think!

Real facts are boring after all & boring doesn't get the ratings.

& we believe all we hear because, its easier to believe what we're told rather than do our own research or seek out the truth.

Even though we have the resources to do this very thing.

But we're lazy...

Media.

Another way to divide us, separate us, segregate us, categorise us, isolate us & weaken us.

The weaker we are, the more susceptible we become.

The more susceptible we are, the easier it is to hypnotise us, fill us with fear to the point where we are suspicious of everyone & accepting of no one.

If we are separated, how can we fight?

How can we stand up for ourselves?

How can we possibly win?

We live in a delusion of freedom & we have for some time.

Yet still we cannot see it.

Still we fall for the same old lies & the same old tricks...

Technology.

The whole world in our hands at just one click & what have we become?

A society divided, not a nation united.

So turn off your device.

Shut it down & unplug.

It's when the screen goes dark that you will finally see the light.

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The End

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Sometimes I feel like we as a society are so disconnected from each other; even though we are connected to everyone we know 24/7 via texts, phone calls, Facebook, Messenger... But we spend so much time behind our screens that I wonder if we're really even living.

I went to the Bon Jovi concert when they came to Sydney on their last tour. Bon Jovi had been on my list of must see bands for ages so I was incredibly stoked when my partner gifted me with tickets. Obviously I couldn't wait to get some good photos and videos, especially during my favourite songs. What I didn't count on, was me a holding my phone up constantly, watching the concert through my screen while waiting for that perfect shot. There was so much I missed because it's much harder to see details when watching through a tiny screen than it is looking directly at the stage. I should have learned my lesson by then. I'd done the same at other concerts and vowed each time to never do it again. But each concert was the same thing. I HAD to get that perfect video just so I could post it on my social media and let everyone know that I WAS THERE! Then I cast my mind back to the time before smartphones (yes, I'm that old), and I remembered how much fun I had at concerts as a teen. It was all about the mosh pit in those days, and screaming the lyrics out until you lost your voice. Losing your voice at a concert was considered SO cool, because it must mean that you are such a huge fan and were able to scream the lyrics to EVERY song. Ah, the good old days.

However, it wasn't just concerts that got me thinking about how much time we spend glued to screens. There's been occasions where I've been out with people, for dinner or drinks or whatever other social event, and have noticed people engrossed in their phones instead of actually talking to people. We live in a world of proclaimed "social" media. Yet we have lost the true art of socialising. Admittedly, I was doing it too, and I often still do it sometimes. Being an introvert doesn't help. If I find myself out of social energy, or if I don't feel comfortable with the people around me, I will often retreat into my phone, hoping to find something fascinating enough to distract me. A lot of the time, I don't even realise I'm doing it, and when I do, I have to give myself a major pep talk to put the phone away. Either that or I'll just leave. I don't know if it's better to leave super early, or to stay but not really engage.

I'm rambling off on a tangent here. Sorry about that. I pretty much type whatever comes into my head.

Anyway, back to the topic...

Over the Easter holidays, we (my partner, myself and my partner's family) go on holiday up the coast. It's so pretty up there. It's a place where I can actually relax, breathe, forget the worries and bullshit of life. I love watching the waves crashing onto the sure, I love watching the sunset and the moon rise... yet lately, I've noticed myself once again trying to capture the moment on camera rather than just BE in the moment and enjoy it. I think technology has made us forget how to live in the moment, how to fully appreciate each moment.

Then there's TV. I can binge watch with the best, and probably like a lot of people, I get pissed off when you get the "are you still watching" prompt. I can't help the grumble as it means I have to actually move to reach for my phone or the remote to hit play and say YES I'M STILL WATCHING THANK YOU VERY MUCH DON'T JUDGE ME! Although, deep down, I know I shouldn't still be watching because I've already been watching for hours. Real life gets put on hold as we watch the lives of characters instead.

And what is it with screens making people feel tough? All these keyboard warriors who hurl threats and insults and degrading comments, calling people out, mocking people, being OFFENDED... I can just bet if they were asked to say these things out loud to the people they were directing their tirade at, they'd run for the hills. Anonymity gives people a wonderful sense of self-grandeur. Behind a keyboard, they are invincible!

Social media has seen a rise of these keyboard warriors. Social media has also added SO much pressure to our lives. People can contact you 24/7 so there's this obligation that you always have to be "on." Heaven forbid you get a message and leave it on 'read' for a day or so. And may the curse of wedgies be upon you if you don't reply at all! Thankfully, Messenger has the means to deactivate your active status, which I have done. That way, no one can get pissy with me because how could I have seen their message if I haven't been online. It's not that I don't care about my friends and family, but I found that I cannot not cope when my inbox becomes overwhelmed with messages; probably due to being an introvert, although I'm sure many of you are the same. Plus, we all have things do in our day to day life. We all have our own fight, our own struggles. We shouldn't be expected to be ON 24/7. People who want you at their beck and call like that are most likely toxic and not the best people to have in your life.

Oh, and don't forget the games. You know the ones, the ones with the pretty colours and pleasing sounds that loudly announce your progress. I'm not saying it's wrong to play games, but like all things, too much of something is not always a good thing.

I'm also not saying that screen time is a terrible thing to participate in. But just, remember that the real world exists too, because the real world is important, and you never know what spectacular moment you might miss if you don't step out into it.

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Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this write... or this rant (haha). If you did, I'd love to know! So please consider showing your support by subscribing, hitting that cute little heart button, or, if your feeling especially generous, by leaving a tip. You will have my undying love forever!

Love, Chan xx