Taking a picture of my face,
to remind myself I still exist.
No one asked “how are you?” today,
So I posted “I'm here!”; they’ll at least know this.
And maybe they’ll judge me— but I hope not.
And maybe they’ll {heart} it, and that’s like a “hey”?
I could call all the hearts on my phone: {Like} that thought
(“Um, hello?” I would never—but it gets me through the day).
The ideas you reference in this poem are highly relevant to modern society at this time in which our technology fuels our everyday lives. With the rise of technology seems to have also come, say critics, a rise in laziness, narcissism, and isolation. With all the information in the world at our fingertips, and every form of social connection and interaction imaginable so easily accessible, human interaction has grown colder and less meaningful. I liked how you approached expressing these sentiments. Now, it seems that less and less people express genuine concern - even a “how are you,” as you say - and everyone has found a new forum for bidding for attention: social media.
ReplyDeleteI appreciated how you both acknowledged the dangers of technology and social media but simultaneously acknowledged your own complicity. You seem very self-aware. My favorite part of the poem was the second stanza. Social media can often feel like the ultimate form of socialization, but it is, in actuality, the exact opposite of true, genuine socialization. I liked how you explored how the likes you receive on social media are flattering and a confirmation of many friendships, however, I appreciate how you acknowledge the fact that you would not feel comfortable calling each person who engages in the elusive social communication system that is social media. There exist people who care just enough about you to put in the effort to tap a screen to display their love, and I respect how you acknowledge that you like the attention and the thought of connection, but how you also recognize that these connections are more shallow than they seem.