BY EDISON MARTE SICAD
“Glory is fleeting, but obscurity is forever.” – Napoleon Bonaparte
DEAD FACTS: the internet is inundated by such irrelevant information. The triviality of these facts is mostly presented in a humorous, witty, or shocking context. Sounding almost encyclopedic, cryptic, or esoteric, the reader may feel grateful of such discovery and learning. But such knowing is useless. For the knowing doesn’t improve the learner and may even hinder the learner from authentic learning. Maybe, screentime (scrolling) is a good pastime after a strenuous work. Admittedly, it is a leisure the value of which is highly subjective and has nothing to do with others.
Disempowering generalities: social media platforms are replete with such declarations. The declarations are arguably true: unfairness of life; celebrated suspension of classes; the good old days; mediocre responsibilities; hunger for social validation; political showbiz and immature citizens; necessary breakups, double standard infidelities, and blameless masochism. Choose your own poison.
As an oft quoted remark, “If you want to be more depressed, just keep on scrolling.”
Dead facts and disempowering generalities: scrolling for hours every day, before bedtime, and in-between tasks, is intensely self-defeating and insidiously addicting. And the younger generation, especially the pupils, are unfortunately becoming the unintended victims — and products.
You can rarely say to others — or to yourself, “Hey, guys. You know what. I feel deeply inspired and am full of energy today. I just spent three hours watching clips, clicking posts, sharing and posting and scrolling and gossiping about the wretched fate of other people.”
Question: If I post messages in social media platforms that are inherently destructive and intensely disturbing, would that still be within my right? Am I still covered by my freedom of expression if my expression (may) can cause or trigger self-defeating thoughts so powerful that it (may) can influence action or inaction to the detriment of the reader — or scroller?
“The human race isn’t worth fighting for, only worth killing. Give the Earth back to the animals. They deserve it infinitely more than we do. Nothing means anything anymore.” — Eric Harris’ Journal, Columbine Massacre shooter
Here’s the link to his journal: https://schoolshooters.info/sites/default/files/harris_journal_1.3.pdf
“The future. That’s where you achieve your aim and that’s where you go to die (hopefully, not too soon).” — Peterson
“In the long run, nothing really matters. In a hundred years, no one will really care, commend, or remember you and your actions. It’s just a matter of time; we will all become a nobody: unrecognizable dust in a chaotic world.”
Are you an enabler of depressing thoughts? Are you a proponent of disempowering conversations?
Your expressions, actions, and manifestations can worsen someone else’s life, pollute the work environment (literally and figuratively), stain a family name, destroy family homes, kill dreams, stop good momentum, and cause a residual filth of disgust and hopelessness to others — with zero accountability.
In a sense, as the song goes, you’ve got the whole world (or your life — and that of others) in your hand — and in your mind. Stay away from rotten, decaying, and deadening facts. Do not needlessly spread your drama yearning for attention and pity.
Be empowered by ideas. Empower others. Be responsible. Take charge of your life. Suffer with meaning. Create a path aligned towards integrity in realizing your ideal self, which can inspire others to believe that they can also reach their full potential./PN
