I have made a simple animation thinking of the virtual self that we all build for the outside world to see. I somehow believe that behind many of the screens this is how many look on the inside. Vulnerable, afraid, anxious.
Connection and love happen beyond fear and insecurities. When two people truly connect they are like two elements Al and Fe (chemistry day huh) who merge into one. You shed the fears and embrace the unknown of vulnerability. This was the main idea behind my beginner level animation.
Our devices and apps are a great refuge but they can also grow into addictions. I can observe it on myself, as it can become exhausting to post on social media in order to get exposure as an artist. Posts, stories, reels, shorts and God knows what is next. I find it tiresome yet I have moments when I try to do my best when it comes to self promotion. I have days when it seems so futile to end up submerged in a screen. Life is outside. True experiences are inside. An app can't take the pain away, it can only numb it. Still, for life to have a taste of "fully lived", something has to change in the way people attach to the virtual world.
Simple life is what I crave for. I wonder if the cows who give this planet so much milk ever considered they should do a reel about it or a short on Youtube. Of course not, no cow has enough time for Instagram or TikTok, they have to graze and produce milk for this planet. Busy ladies. Jokes aside, I feel that the way things are going now human beings become less human and more robot. What makes me feel this way?
It is easy to notice how short our existence might be on Earth if you take a look at the social profiles of people who recently died. You look at all of those happy images and all of those likes. You can see a post made by them just a couple of hours before their life would end in a tragic accident. The profile still exists while that person is dead. I often wondered how much of their real life was ever exposed in that profile. Were they so happy and joyous? Did they have another story to tell they did not dare to share?
Beyond perfectly taken images and gorgeously edited videos there is a soul. A soul of a human being trying to express themselves and find connection in this consumerist society which causes mental havoc. I have the suspicion that most of us experienced moments of feeling alone and lost in life while pretending on social media that we are doing just fine. A couple of likes and views will boost our dopamine just a tiny bit , enough to keep going.
I no longer believe in what people try to post on social media. In anything virtual as a matter of fact. It is so easy to put on a mask and pretend that life is going well. The internet, filters, forums and virtual reality are the new alcohol. Many of us might not realize that we are consumers inebriated by the tempting promise of connection that the social media gives us.
I find it deeply troubling to notice the shock between real life and what people put out there. Some don't even look like in the pictures.... it's just the beginning. What I feel is really the issue is the corruption of your soul. When you can numb yourself with technology you can forget what is it like to feel pain. You can choose to forget what you really have to do with your life. You can choose a mask and wear it, in hopes that no one sees the tears and frustration and anxiety lurking beneath. The saddest thing is that I believe most people are not even aware that they lose this connection with themselves. Being so consumed by what should their next post be...they forget Them. Themselves. Their core. Their human side.
I have often found myself in this dilemma as I realized that talent without promotion is pretty much worthless in this society. Trying to succeed without being everywhere is almost mission impossible. But as I tried to catch up with the Joneses, I realized it was taking me time from creating, from experiencing real joy, from being with myself without feeling the need to share it with anyone.
As I looked at this bucolic view with the cows doing their thing, as they have been doing for centuries, I stopped and inhaled the air. The sound of the bells attached to the cow's neck is like a symphony of rural bliss. I did not take a picture in order to post it right away. I did not make a reel or a short. I just sat there and wished for one day to be able to have so much land that I could witness moments like these every day. When I look back at my life I see that the most important moments were never posted on social media. They were mine. Private. Just for my soul to know.
Keeping the privacy and yet trying to connect is no picnic. I feel that the game of dopamine rush has transformed many people in lifeless bodies sleepwalking through their own lives. I miss seing someone being able to have a meal with a loved one without looking at any screen. I miss seing couples holding hands and truly be in each other presence. I miss seing authenticity instead of a virtual show of happy pictures which no longer tell the true story. I miss people who can open up and talk deep issues rather than shallow small talk. I miss humans who do not indulge in spending most of their days online. Humans who rather live , sit with tough emotions and figure it out. I feel that I can't even put my finger on it. On this phenomena of alienation. On the idea that you might get a like or a thumb up from someone you crave you would have a deeper connection with. But all you get is hearts and likes and views. And the show must go on. Where is the humanity in that?
I wish there would be an international day where people would decide to go off the social media and actually be with people they truly care and love. And to share their real story. Their true emotion. The things you can't put in a post or in a picture because the unseen can't be posted. Just felt.
