There is something strange about the world right now.

It’s difficult to explain because nothing is necessarily wrong.

The streets are still there,- people still go to work and school.

From a distance, nothing has changed. Everything is normal.

But there is a strange feeling that lingers.

Why do we all feel like we’re living outside of our own lives?

We have gotten so used to editing everything.

Pictures, videos, conversations-,

Ourselves.

We know what and what not to post. We know which parts of our lives look good, and which parts should stay hidden. And after presenting like that for so long, we forget that real life isn’t supposed to look like that.

Real life doesn’t consist of a perfectly healthy relationship, or overconsumption because a new mini came out. You don’t need twelve new pairs of headphones or a brand new water bottle anytime a new one is made.

Even things that are ACTUALLY happening have started to feel fake.

You go somewhere beautiful and your first instinct is to pull out your phone to take a picture, throw a filter on it. You go to a concert and suddenly you’re watching half of it through your phone.

It’s like we’re living in two places at once.

And now it’s become increasingly more difficult to be REAL, because we can’t tell what IS REAL anymore.

Images and voices can be faked and stolen. People can appear in places they’ve never been, and things can be made to look like something happened, even when it didn’t.

We stop scrolling on social media just to think; “is that real or ai?”

And hey, don’t get me wrong. I don’t think technology is the problem here.

It’s us.

It’s our abuse of it.

We use something that was supposed to connect us to spread misinformation and harm.

To say cruel things behind a mask because “nobody is on this burner account! they won’t see!”

To fake a whole reality because you have to present PERFECT to the world.

We hide behind screens when we should be having conversations, or enjoying a $300 concert.

We have access to things that generations ago could have never imagined, and yet, we abuse it.

We’ve stopped thinking for ourselves.

Let’s bring back common sense.

If you wouldn’t say it to someone’s face,

Don’t say it online.

-Nightingale