I flip through the album of happy faces in the Alps and the Eurostar, at the Eiffel tower and at the Vatican. Big big smiles there! I browse the freezes of Bharatnatyam mudras of beautiful dancers. I am horrified by the tiktok videos which at the same time entertain me. I cannot bear to hear out one full smule song posted online by a friend. I unfollowed another one for too many personal posts packed with embarrassing private info that i thought i could do without. There is this yatri who alerts everyone every time he sets his foot inside some temple precincts. There are friends who post before boarding a flight, on landing at the destination, checking into this hotel or that resort, walking, running, gymming, yogaing, shopping…. all with an ear to ear grin whose happiness is always infectious…
So is social media really that bad, i ask myself. I am seeing beaming faces everywhere. I am seeing friends in parks, beaches, singing, dancing, playing, tattooing (!), even praying. The kids are out of the world! The clubs are regaling. The wildlife is well cared for, at least online. The recipes are interesting. The causes are heeded to and helped. There is awareness on current happenings. There are playful rebukes and rebuffs. There is satire and sarcasm and the memes are blasphemous! There also is this occasional dampener – one or two, by way of sharing-posting negativity and hatred, but that which we can consign to the dustbin of our mind…. so otherwise? … otherwise i find the social media guys oozing with josh and party perfect! We may sometimes need this energy tonic to lift up our sagging spirit…
If someone is in social media sharing his/her enthusiasm and happiness for the world to see, i think they have nothing to hide. Contrary to popular belief that some seek social media approval, nowadays i believe, if someone is photobombing facebook, instagram etc., with their exciting escapades, then in all probability things are working out for them nicely, that they are genuinely happy. Not to assume that those who do not advertise are not doing great. But in the first case, in all probability, the guys have a reason to celebrate and they don’t shy sharing a slice of their happy life with everyone.
Rather than being irritated by them like in the past, nowadays i am looking at them with new eyes. Earlier they appeared narcissists to me. Now they appear happy, contented people to me having a blast on their birthdays, wedding days, any holiday for that matter.
After making this observation i was thinking of those who shy away from sharing with buddies their familial happiness or even the good moments they savour with friends. Somehow now they don’t strike me as those with a heightened sense of privacy. May be sometimes you don’t want others to see you? You don’t want to go on record? You don’t have anything happy and worthwhile to share? As i said, those with low profile need not necessarily be having a listless life. Yet, there is a good possibility that their lives may not be as interesting or as happy.
This i believe is true of those who never share family photos or vacation pictures or party clicks. You don’t have to consistently post, but there must be something to celebrate about. What makes someone completely hide their front. I don’t know this is now my social media psychology report.
The more seen one is, the more loud one is in social media, yes in all probability they are having a whale of a good time! These social media stars make no bones about wearing their happiness on their sleeves for the whole world to see. For the first time in my life, I am respecting them for diffusing positivity and cheer in the air thick with envy and hatred.
vijiravindran's 