Hobby or a Guilty Pleasure?
TRIGGER WARNING: Topic and a video attached might give you stress and bad vibes.
Years ago, I see social media as a place where people can be free to share what they think and to feel beautiful. I was an active Facebook user before that I even became one of the sources of information of the fans of Fifth Harmony (an American girl-group). I entered the realms of social media when I was 15. That's when gwiyomi and being an emo guy trended, people call it the jejemon days. But of course, as I grow up, I also became more matured in using social media. I outgrew the jejemon era and became invested in the woke era. I don't post picture more often anymore and only share memes that I find funny. Then... the COVID-19 panini happened.
It was March of 2020 when we were forced to stay inside our homes. The lockdown was said to last only for 15 days. 15 days became three months. We were promised to be "okay" in December. And now, we are here, still in our beds, doing the same routine over and over again. We passed through making dalgona coffee, dancing SZA's The Weekend, hyped on what we thought "the final season" of Attack on Titan, and still, we are stuck with our phones in our hands, scrolling up and down the app called Tiktok. And here's the catch, the social media gets worse day by day with the rise of Jam Magno, issues faced by Youtubers, Raffy Tulfo's "justice system", everything gets out of hand and we don't have any choice because we cannot deny that social media is that only friend who never left you during this crazy time.
And so, I was stuck with social media like other people in the world. Everything was ideal at first. I open social media apps, check the news, check the data regarding this pan de leche, fight for press freedom, comment on people who justifies the incompetence of this government, basically just things normal people in the "woke" era do. But then, I won't deny it, I got tired. The way our country handles the pancake is so disappointing that it gave another personality - my i-don't-care-anymore-it's-just-the-same-stupid-thing-again personality. I became so numb whenever I pass through bad news, I don't have that student activist energy anymore. Until one day, I realize that the crazy mindset of Filipinos actually becomes more and more funny. Plot twist that I never expected, the thing that angers me became my source of happiness.
Facebook became a platform for fan wars nowadays and going through the comment section of a controversial topic is fun. The comments will either make you agree or will give you a sigh of relief knowing that you are not that dumb because these people exists. I once said that I wanted to be an investigative journalist but knowing that we are in the Philippines, that profession will never keep you safe. But social media gave me an experience. Stalking people and investigating their issues became my pastime. Friends that I thought I know became a complete stranger because stalking them unfolds a different side of their whole personality.
Twitter is more fun. Before, the platform was composed of real woke people. They are real activists and advocates. But then, I think that Facebook people infected the Twitter realm and spread "wokeness" in the app. Twitter is full of sarcastic and satirical tweets and these social media nomads just don't know the culture in Twitter. And then everyone started fighting over stupid things like All Lives Matter and the "I-have-LGTBQ-friends-and-I-love-them-BUT...." statements. And believe me or not, stalking these people and thinking "Oh, it's always the ugly and broke ones" gives me more serotonin than watching cute alpacas on Youtube.
Social media is a fun platform. But I think that there will always be people who will use this platform to spread negativity and hate. Statements and opinions like Jam Magno's, Banat By's or the "president" is no worth of that much attention actually because Filipinos, without these negatrons, have the initiative to spread love and hope during this time of crisis. Social media entertains me in different ways but suffering during pandora, it's stalking people and gossiping on the issues give me that good laugh. Of course, at the end of the day, I always hope and pray to the universe for this to end. I cannot assure that I can withstand social media negatrons for years. But for now, this hobby, or should I say guilty pleasure (I don't even know what to call it), wears off my daily stress.
I know, ironic.
