It’s a beautiful, bright day. My brain is geared up with an interesting set of insights, realisations and questions. I’m happy to share whatever I have with the world; communicate my ideas and get back some brilliant ideas.
I go on Facebook full of enthusiasm. I post an article that I like or update my status, hoping to get some interesting responses that will help me unfold some of my thoughts. I feel intrigued to discover other possible perspectives that will challenge my thoughts and take me on an intellectual ride with other minds.
I go on Twitter, read the news and find an interesting topic. I favourite it and perhaps retweet. I go on Instagram and post a photo with a caption that I thought about so hard when taking that particular photo (I do post random photos sometimes of things that I like, with no captions, and that’s OK, too).
I check my phone to look for responses with excitement. The notifications start flooding my mobile screen: one, two, five, 10, 30. And they’re all “likes”. Plain, simple “likes”. Not a single word. Perhaps an emoticon? That’s it.
I really can’t make sense of the “likes” I get just seconds after posting something. I’m not even sure if they’ve read or seen what I’ve posted. It seems more like a habit to scroll down and “like” almost everything that comes their way.
I’m not very fond of “liking” other people’s posts. If I see something that I actually like then I’ll hit the “like” button, but usually there are not many interesting posts.
Another thing I can’t make sense of is when people get upset if I don’t throw them a “like” every now and then. Some people take their “likes” very seriously. What fascinates me and confuses me at the same time is when I sincerely “like” someone’s post, I suddenly find them going through my old posts and “liking” 20 posts at once.
I remember 10 years ago when social message board forums were a big deal, gathering people from all over the globe. Some had real talents and worked hard to improve their knowledge. If someone posted something new, almost everyone would research it and respond with comprehensive comments. Every day you would feel like you had learnt something new and extended your knowledge in a fun way. Even though we didn’t know each other and perhaps would never meet in the real world, we still kept that relationship.
Our brains need to be constantly trained and challenged. Our addiction to the silent world of social media has muted our lives. It sometimes feels this “like” culture has trapped so many thoughts in our heads that our words have become lost in them.
Zainab AlMousawi is a clinical social worker and a master’s student.
If you have a good story to tell or an interesting issue to debate, contact Shireena Al Nowais on salnuwais@thenational.ae.