Sadly, Our Lives Have Turned into a Performance

Here we are in 2024, living in a world that has changed drastically from what we once knew. The fears we once had about technology, about losing our connection to each other and ourselves, have come true. We spend more time with our screens than with the people we love. We’ve traded privacy for popularity, turning our personal lives into open books for strangers, all in the pursuit of validation. Instead of connecting us in meaningful ways, social media has driven us further apart, creating a world where we constantly compare, judge, and compete—leaving us feeling more isolated and unfulfilled than ever.

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The Advent of Social Media: From Salvation to Damnation

Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram were once heralded as revolutionary tools that would bring humanity closer, enriching our lives and helping us stay connected. They promised to be a bridge between distances and a window into each other’s worlds. But what started as a hopeful innovation has become an instrument of our undoing. These platforms have turned us into broadcasters, putting our lives on display in a relentless pursuit of likes, comments, and followers. We share every detail—our meals, moments, milestones—not out of a genuine desire to connect but out of a need for validation.

?We’ve become addicted to sharing without pausing to ask: Who cares? This constant exposure, this urge to be seen, has hollowed out our sense of self. We broadcast our lives, but in doing so, we’ve lost touch with who we are. The irony is striking: we’re more “connected” than ever, yet we’ve never been so alone.

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The Peer Pressure of Social Media: A Constant Comparison

Every time we pick up our phones, we’re drawn into a world of comparison. We scroll through feeds with images of friends, acquaintances, and influencers seemingly living their best lives. They’re at exotic destinations, dining at beautiful restaurants, and celebrating picture-perfect moments. We see people we know—people we think we should be able to relate to—living in ways that feel impossibly out of reach. And there we are, staring at a screen, watching them live a life that feels fuller, richer, more exciting than our own.

But we don’t see the reality behind those carefully curated posts. We don’t know the debt, the exhaustion, the emptiness that might lie behind the perfect smiles. We don’t see the lonely nights, the moments of doubt, the fear that fuels the need to present a flawless image. We see only what they choose to show and forget that it’s just a fraction of their reality. The truth is that life behind the screen is often as complicated and imperfect as our own. Yet social media’s constant stream of “highlights” makes us feel we’re falling short and missing out, as if we’re somehow failing at life.

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Fear of Standing Out: The Need to Fit In

When everyone else is following the same trends—partying, travelling, flaunting success—it’s easy to feel left out if we’re not doing the same. We see others living certain lifestyles and question why we aren’t doing the same. If they’re travelling, why aren’t we? If they’re living boldly, why aren’t we? This pressure to conform can be overwhelming, pushing us to abandon our path in favour of something that may not even make us happy.

We start doing things that bring us short-term comfort—spending more than we can afford, pretending to be someone we’re not, living for the approval of others. But in the long run, these choices leave us feeling hollow. In trying to fit in, we lose ourselves. During these times, we need to pause and ask ourselves:

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1. Who am I?
2. Who do I want to become?
3. What do I want to do with my life?
4. Where do I see myself in a year?
5. Can I rely on myself when it truly matters?

These questions are difficult, even painful, to face. They force us to confront our own insecurities and fears. But they are essential if we want to break free from the cycle of comparison and start living a life that’s truly our own. By answering these questions honestly, we begin a journey of self-discovery and growth. This journey is challenging but empowering—it allows us to take control of our lives, stop performing, and start living.

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Losing the Love for Knowledge and Reflection

We’ve also turned away from practices that once nourished our minds and souls. Reading books, for example, has become a rarity. In the late 1970s, 60 per cent of high school seniors read a book or magazine almost every day; by 2016, that number had dropped to a mere 16 per cent. One in three teenagers hadn’t read a book for pleasure in a year.

Books open our minds to new perspectives, offer insights we might never encounter otherwise, and teach us to see the world from different viewpoints. Yet, we’ve traded this depth of understanding for the instant gratification of social media. Instead of spending time with a book, we waste hours scrolling through reels and memes that provide little value. We’re so focused on superficial entertainment that we’ve forgotten the joy of learning, the calm that comes with solitude, and the richness that books can bring our lives.

Phones may offer information quickly, but they can’t replace the experience of immersing oneself in a story, being challenged by new ideas, and growing through knowledge. Reading allows us to slow down, think deeply, and see life through a lens of empathy and wisdom. It’s a habit worth reviving—a practice that helps us connect with ourselves in a way that social media never can.

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The Reality of Impermanence: Living Authentically

We need to remember that, one day, we’ll be gone, and with us, all the photos, videos, and updates we spent so much time crafting will also disappear. Our daily workout videos, travel photos, and carefully curated images will all fade from memory. Our followers, who once watched our every move, will move on. The moments that felt so important will be forgotten.

So, if we’re all destined to be forgotten, why not focus on what truly matters? Instead of living for others, let’s live for ourselves. Let’s invest in authentic relationships, personal growth, and experiences that enrich our lives. Let’s stop performing and start living in a way that brings us joy and fulfilment. Life isn’t a competition; it’s a journey meant to be cherished, an experience to savour.

Our worth isn’t determined by how many people follow us or how many likes we get. The quality of our relationships measure it, the kindness we show, the depth of our experiences, and the impact we leave on the lives of those we love. So, let’s stop measuring ourselves against others and start living a life that feels right for us, rooted in authenticity, compassion, and self-respect.

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“The irony of life is that the existence of a human lies in its non-existence in the greater scheme of things.”

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