Server Down. Life Is Up!
As I type this, the society is healing (for a bit). People are not missing out on any update from anyone, anywhere. Rather, they’re probably and hopefully spending time with those around them. Those who don’t have anyone around are probably spending time with themselves (touching themselves is a way, and not bad in many ways). Those not touching their body parts are probably introspecting, thinking of ways to pass the time Mark Zuckerberg and co. have provided them by fucking things up.
On the flip side, millions would still be checking their phones and waiting for their message to finally be delivered/received. A large number would have no freaking idea why their lifeline — WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram are down. How could this happen to their lives? “My life sucks”, would have been uttered by many. Trust me mate, it doesn’t. You’re doing just fine!
Is that really what life has come down to? Are we so dependent on social media to socialise? Can we not find happiness in anything else? Do we realise we have given one guy and one company the control how we pass our day(s)? Facebook has been around for 17 years now, but has become a giant emotional monster of a medium to communicate, and socialise in the last decade. Recent acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp have increased their reach, and in turn, increased our dependency on a freaking app to stay happy. As of 2019 and 2020, the average daily social media usage of internet users worldwide amounted to 145 minutes per day, up from 142 minutes in the previous year. It was 90 minutes in 2012.
The 2020 Netflix documentary - The Social Dilemma did a fine job of portraying how such platforms have caused negative problematic social, political, and cultural consequences, that have even lead to suicidal tendencies among teens and young adults. If you haven’t seen it yet, finish the rest of the article, and head to Netflix to watch that, and then come back and thank me. You should also thank the creators of The Social Dilemma for giving you a chance, to have a better life. Just a chance. Its your choice after all.
I’m not asking you to delete those apps, and throw away your phone, which will allow you to be more productive than you have been lately. Although truth be told, that is exactly what will happen if you do just that. But again, its a free world, and you have your choices, and probably you do want a social life on social media, and that’s fine. I’m no saint either. I also use those apps. All I’m saying is question yourself? Ask yourself a simple question? How addictive are you? How important is Instagram to you? Is it more important than your partner, your friends, yourself? Are you so weak that you will be affected by FOMO on social media? Do you really want to spend hours and hours of your precious time looking at a screen every 5 minutes, when you can spend the same doing so much more.
I also acknowledge the importance of these apps, and the little good they have done. Many small businesses are thriving. Families who stay away stay connected, but c’mon, not everyone needs to unlock your phone, open the freaking app, and scroll up-down-up-down-up-down for minutes, only to lock and keep the phone aside, and repeat the freaking exercise all over again in a matter of minutes. No. Don’t do that to yourself. There really are better things to do.
How do I know? Cuz I used to be the same jackass unlocking-scrolling-locking-unlocking all day long! I even ended up changing the picture, or posting one, only to get 171 likes (to the max), and that was that. I’m no Tom Cruise. I’m not Tom Brady. I’m no Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi. Again, I’m no saint, and I’m also part of the same society, and I ALSO fall prey to Zuckerberg and Co, and I ALSO feel the FOMO, so I do post a picture, but, yeah, 171 likes it is my friend!
In a hundred and forty five minutes, you can probably finish reading half a book on average speed — which you will be something great to start with. You can cook and eat a healthy meal. It is more than 2 freaking hours, that you can spend with your parents, your siblings, your partner, your friends. The list goes on.
You know what? In the time Facebook has been thankfully down, the world is going on just fine. People are breathing. No asteroid has hit the earth. God is still a question, and the ice caps continue to melt. Nothing you didn’t know already. If Facebook can stay down till tomorrow, or day after, or if it miraculously disappears from the face of the earth, the world will probably be a better place.
Rather Zuckerberg should make this a thing. While his company has single handedly uprooted societies (Google Myanmar Facebook and you’ll know), he should, in good faith at least give a fucking hour back to its users life, and at least try to do some good. Might just be some good PR, Mark for everything you’ve fucked up.
Also, thanks for these few hours you’ve given to us. (Feels like talking to God here — Thanks for the hours you’ve given us!) I was able to write this down, which I will now share on your platforms to gain some traction once they’re back. It is ironic and sickening, and hypocritic to a large extent, but not as much as you are, but I know, that it is what it is, and we’re doomed, so what the heck!
