I look, and therefore I see. I think, and therefore I exist. Yet seeing the world as it is can be deeply disappointing. I have experienced the illusion of friendship many times, only to discover the fragility that reveals itself within the virtual world. Humanity is gradually losing its capacity for genuine socialisation, retreating further into introversion. I, too, have felt this shift. And yet, I have continued to observe, to notice the subtle patterns in people’s lives, made visible through the strange agreement we have all accepted, the silent permission to witness one another’s existence through screens.
Technology promised connection, but in many ways, it has deepened the distance. We have grown addicted to short bursts of content, to an endless and effortless stream that quietly occupies the mind. These fragments comfort us. We watch warm, amusing moments. We listen to those who appear honest and sincere. We agree, we empathise, we criticise the system, and for a moment, we feel aware. Yet it remains confined within the virtual world. Once we step outside of it, our awareness dissolves, and we return to automated existence.
Each day, observing both the physical world and the artificial one we have constructed diminishes my hope for the future of human awareness. Still, I will continue to walk this path for as long as I am able.
But the question remains. Will you recognise what is happening directly before you, or will you remain comforted by the endless stream that asks nothing of you?
As always, you see, but you do not observe.
And slowly, you allow your mind to decay.
— H.S
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