IN the still evolving digital era, people like to publicise their lives on social media platforms. One wonders how much alignment there is, if there is any, between the real life and the life portrayed in the reels. Social media influencers, bloggers and v-loggers use platforms like YouTube, Instagram and Facebook to upload their content, advertise various brands, and get as much reach, likes, reposts and forwards as possible.

The problem is not with the content they produce; it is with the tendency of the audiences to believe everything they watch on social media. When the content creators constantly upload pictures and videos of their supposedly happy lives and fancy lifestyles, their followers are more likely to believe every bit of it without bothering to pause even for a moment to contemplate that maybe, just maybe, the real life of these content creators might be a tad different.

The excessive use of social media has led to a situation where people are living two lives: a life portrayed on social media platforms, and a real life outside social media. In their former avatar, people paint their lives in bright shades and hues. Everything seems perfect like a fairytale. The fact is that most of these people happen to be going through rough times, and are actually trying to seek peace and happiness in their lives. This is only natural. What is not natural is the disconnect between the reality and the portrayal of it.

The growing use of social media has no doubt opened up opportunities for the users. However, the illusion created by reels and posts is distracting people away from the real. The rising desperation to get more views and become popular is actually distracting people away from their own real life. They are more concerned about the number of views, likes and followers on social media platforms than on the number of real friends, healthy relationships and peace of mind.

Qamar Fatima
Sukkur

Published in Dawn, November 10th, 2024