A Generation of Paranoia

We live in a generation of paranoid kids. We are those paranoid kids.

The cause? Social media.

As a generation we have grown up in an era of social media and instant messaging. In the blink of an eye we share a photo with thousand's of people, or start a conversation with someone on the other side of the world. Yes, this IS absolutely wonderful! But it is also absolutely devastating.

We live in a generation full of paranoia, narcissism and insecurities. Directly influenced and fuelled by the giant that is social media. We are constantly exposed to the idea that we are surrounded by "liars & back stabbers", "cheaters & manipulators". Over an extended period of time and prolonged exposure to this idea, I believe that we consciously and subconsciously are led to believe this to be the truth. Constantly doubting and second guessing just about everything everyone around us says and does.

The idea of mental illness is romanticised and in a way, is referred to as poetic in some form. We are tricked into subconsciously believing that having a mental illness makes you a "deep, intriguing and complicated" person. Which is thought to be fashionable, I guess?

Anything we naturally feel, especially negative emotions such as sadness, nervousness and doubt, are all exaggerated and dramatised so much so, that we believe we suffer from a mental illness such as paranoia, when this is rarely the case. In doing so, we subconsciously believe that we are fitting into a category and precedent that is influenced and encouraged by the negativity on social media and television.

All the while, any positive emotions we feel are suppressed and pushed to the side because we are told "it doesn't last".

We crave to feel some form of real emotion, because we lack human interaction. Which is kind of ironic considering we live in a time where we are meant to be the most connected, yet we have never been so disconnected from the real world. So alone... So paranoid.

Maybe if social media was used to shed positivity, support and happiness we might live in a generation that wasn't so paranoid. So paranoid that the group over there were laughing at us. So paranoid that that girl was looking at us because we are fat, or ugly, or have pimples.

Maybe we would be a generation known as the happiest generation of them all.

Maybe we wouldn't all be so absolutely fucked in the head.

Just maybe?

Source : articlesbase.com