Virtual World – a cooking pot and twisted tales

So, the summer vacay is almost over, and we will be back to the bustle of school run, fees, homework, projects and what have you in no time. Time is so fleeting. Just a couple of weeks ago, I had made an ambitious list of all the things that I planned to do during the summer break, alas, here I am, nary a thing done except vegetating, creating my posts on TikTok and FB, reading a novel in a lackadaisical manner, entertaining the legion of characters that co-habit my mind space and scrolling the fields of social media.

I had anticipated that the time out will bring solitude and grant me the opportunity to hear myself think, but the solitary moments that I had were barely silent to say the least. I found myself constantly fidgeting with one thing or the other, reaching for my phone ever so often and imbibing in mindless scrolling that magically steals one’s time. Thankfully, I have been disciplined enough to get in my daily walks, improve my form and indulge in much needed self-care which is never enough.

One thing I can tell you freely is that discipline is a daily task. It doesn’t come easy in the least, even when we have our best intentions lined up. I can tell you for free that social media is the thief of time, devised to grab your attention and keep your eyes glued to the screen. I can also tell you that on social platforms, I gained a lot of valuable insight which I may never have had the chance to do otherwise, so, it’s not all downers.

The absolute truth is that we now live in two worlds, the physical and the virtual and we must learn how to navigate both worlds intentionally to our benefits.

Hope you are having a lovely day today.

Check me out on TikTok

What manner of intoxication is this?
What manner of fascination is this?
Eyes feasting on likes and follows,
Like there are no tomorrows.

So consumed am I,
Watching in bated anticipation for the rise of the ticks,
The highs and lows of the statistics.

The likes and nudges, the pokes and comments serve as melodious balm to my eager sapping soul and a fan to the embers of my creative juices.

With glee, I keep my hand shamelessly on the click, checking and rechecking the stats, like a fisherman who has cast a bait in hope of catching a fry.

What gives birth to such desire for validation, from friends and strangers to you and I?

Could it be our preening narcissistic selves that seek such adulation and approval? Wanting to know that we are not one lone echoing voice, unheard in the cacophonous decibels of all that goes on around us?

Could it be, could it be, the simple truth, that indeed no man is an Island? That we need each other to survive, be it in the real or virtual World?

We grasp with greedy, clutching fingers at any sign of love and approval sent our little way. Are we equally as giving, of this easily hard-earned love?

What manner of sorcery and captivation is this? To the likes, the ticks, the tweets, the follows, the apps, the phones, the comments and many more to come.

It is called Digital addiction.