Lights, camera, action!!! These words were once only part of a celebrity life. In the last two decades social media have made this come home to the common man. Everyone is busy posing, posting, broadcasting their lives. The platforms available are varied and evolving. This baby was just born and has already grown into an over-fed “know it all giant”.
When we migrated overseas, talk time was precious. The weekly calls made home were timed, and we took turns exchanging information with an eye firmly on the ticking clock. Detailed news, photographs went by snail mail, took weeks to reach across continents and then begin the long, arduous trek back. The anticipation kept us excited.
Fast forward to September 2006. Facebook opened its arms and embraced an entire cross section of individuals starved for contact. Almost overnight our universe bloomed and several concentric circles formed magically. The wonder of finding that long forgotten first friend from school, college or neighborhood, the elation of knowing how easy it was to stay connected and to be able to share news was enough to put us over the edge with delirium. I finally comprehended how Alice must have felt in Wonderland.
The plethora of social media apps have since mushroomed. Twitter, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Instagram, Snapchat are now household names spanning and engaging generations. With this vast play field, our need to be visible and to share grew exponentially. Every place visited, every meal ordered began to be documented. I love the fact that I’m able to now follow the travel itinerary of family and friends or be a part of an event I’m unable to travel to; but do I need to know why the barista did not make that perfect latte on Monday morning, or why did the Uber driver not show up at the allocated hour, that too accompanied by photographic evidence?
As with all other things, overuse, misuse and abuse often leads to harm. Soon, cases of online predators, distracted drivers, depression began to be associated with this new world. Teenagers are most vulnerable to predators and long unsupervised hours online are adding to this trouble. Depression,they say can slam all ages. All those happy pictures streaming into our news feed give us pause- “am I the last boring person left on this planet? So, we seek opportunities to pose, click and share our lives in reciprocation, and the circle of sharing continues.
This new age show has a mixed bunch of performers. Those who were on stage in the opening act but have since decided to quit. Then there are others who are adding more and more to their roles each time the curtains rise. I prefer to stay on stage because I’m still enjoying myself. I get to write my own screenplay and choose to take my own breaks. Most important, I’m the director of my show, and I still feel the thrill in calling lights, camera, action OR cut!!!!
MindSpeak by Priyanka 