Lets start with a quote from me:
If you choose to use social media, you don’t have the right to complain.
Unbelievable, it’s been two weeks since I started this project and a few things have happened. The first is that I’ve become more focused on the streets, and this was something that was not only unexpected but very welcomed. I needed focus in my street photography, and having a project with a goal was more than enough to motivate me.
The second thing I noticed was just how bad this addiction had become. 90% of the zombies walking around are holding their digital devices in their hands or are using them as they walk through the streets, moving mindlessly from shop to shop. I do wonder how many people know that they are doing this. I think it might surprise most of them, and I would bet if asked, most would say that they hardly use their phones.
It’s the wild west out there, but instead of guns at the ready, it’s mobile phones at the ready. I bet most would be quicker than Billy the Kid at the quick draw.
As I walk past windows of restaurants, coffeehouses, etc., I see mindless zombies sitting with friends or family and hardly anyone is engaging with the person they are sat with. People really can’t go a few minutes without having a look at their screens. I don’t understand what could be so important that it would need one’s attention for hours of the day. Yes, I’m sure there might be a message that is important and needs the attention straight away, but come on, people, not everything needs your attention straight away.
I don’t fully understand why people need to have their phones in their hands as they walk down the street, and no, before anyone messages and says what about using maps, you can look and see your path; you don’t need to keep checking every few feet. Your phones should be put away when you’re walking; you need to be aware of your surroundings, and if you have children with you, then you really should be paying closer attention to them and making sure they don’t wander off. And please, someone tell me why you need to make phone calls when you’re out shopping or out with your family, and worse of all is people that walk around on a video call, why?
This digital addition has truly gotten out of hand, and something needs to change. I would say before it’s too late, but I think it’s already too late. I saw something on BBC News about a week ago about mothers that had lost their babies. I can’t begin to imagine how that would feel. However, this story was talking about how social media was still targeting these mothers with ads for baby products, and they were saying that they didn’t know how to stop seeing them. I thought, how bloody stupid are people. If you don’t want to see these ads, it’s very simple: you delete social media. Simple really isn’t it? If you have someone in your life who is toxic and causing you distress, you stop seeing them, right? So why wouldn’t you delete social media and get rid of the ads that are causing you distress? The answer again is very simple: you are addicted to your digital device and the digital world and you have no self control.
The human race needs to unplug from the matrix and start living in the real world; the digital world isn’t connection, it’s disconnection. We have become a society of loners; we believe that our digital device will bring us closer, and the more likes and followers we get, the more we’ll feel good about ourselves, but take it from someone who once thought like that and is now suffering from severe anxiety and depression. The likes and followers are NEVER enough; it’s endless; social media doesn’t bring you happiness, it destroys your mental health and makes you feel lost and alone. Your phone ain’t worth your life, so turn it off and enjoy the real world; you’ll feel so much better for it, and trust me, I know.
I would like, if I may, to leave you with a question: Why do people take photos of their dinners or coffees when they are in a restaurant or coffeehouse?
