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The year is 2028, and people are spending their time on the internet. Some of them spend hours watching videos online: funny videos, educational ones or even cooking tutorials. The screen-based life has changed our lives so much that there’s a new word for it: “soft prison.” I bet you know what this means – scrolling through social media feeds with pictures of your friends at parties or brunch restaurants without actually being physically present there. You also might have heard about how all these screens can be harmful to one’s health because they affect cognitive development in young children and make us less active as adults (all while making companies like Facebook $40 billion each year).
But still we go back.. And again and again. We’re in a soft prison!
The screen-based life has changed our lives so much that there’s a new word for it: “soft prison.” I bet you know what this means – scrolling through social media feeds with pictures of your friends at parties or brunch restaurants without actually being physically present there. You also might have heard about how all these screens can be harmful to one’s health because they affect cognitive development in young children and make us less active as adults (all while making companies like Facebook $40 billion each year).
WIth never enough time, too many options, endless distractions and no ability to focus on one thing, it can be hard to put down the phone and actually spend time with people or do things that matter.
But still we go back.. And again and again. We’re in a soft prison! In this post I want to explore how we have been conditioned by screens into being less present with ourselves and each other. There’s an emotional cost to scrolling through Instagram on our phones instead of spending time together as friends in real life – feeling more disconnected from others than ever before because there are so many distractions around us at any given moment. But it doesn’t need to stay like this forever. It might seem impossible now but technology is only going one way: forward (to paraphrase Steve Jobs). This means you can take control
Some people just want to watch the world burn. They’re not content with their own personal issues and instead they seek out other peoples’ lives to ruin. There’s no real logic in this, but that is what makes it so difficult for those who are attacked by these trolls. Sure you can block them on social media channels or even change your phone number if necessary, but when someone has gone through all the trouble of tracking down every possible thing about you then getting back at you becomes a lot easier than most think.
The key to dealing with a troll is paying attention to how they act towards others before responding yourself.. If they target everyone around them, then there may be nothing too personal going on and blocking them will suffice as a response. But if they target only you, then that’s when it becomes a more personal issue and you should try to figure out what the troll may be looking for from your actions or responses before deciding how to proceed with them.
The key is knowing who these trolls are in general so as not to feed into their delusions of being something important enough to have your attention.”
As someone who also suffers from anxiety, I know all too well what it feels like when people make cruel comments about my mental health every time I post pictures online.. One day on Instagram there were no less than 27 comments telling me just how ugly I was because of my scars which caused me so much stress and made me want to stay away from social media for a while.
I really think that sometimes people forget about how much it can hurt someone when they make fun of something like this and just say whatever is on their mind without realizing the effect it might have.”
“Learning what triggers them and finding ways around those things will allow you to remove yourself from situations which could cause more stress before they start.”
There’s always going to be jerks out there, but one way or another you’ll never change anyone else if all you do is sit back and take it. It takes guts, courage, determination, patience, and a whole lot of strength, but if you want to make an impact on this world, I really think it’s worth the fight.
The Cringe is Too Strong: What It Feels Like
There are so many times when people mock me or say something about my scars that makes me feel like crap because they’re pointing out how ugly I am. The thing that bothers me most though is when someone says “you’ll never be normal” which just makes sense in my head.”
It hurts enough already knowing that some days these things will always bother me more than others without having someone saying them aloud too. Sometimes I wonder what would happen if everyone was as self-aware as they should be before speaking up and saying these things.
I used to be so sensitive about how I looked and it took a long time for me to come around, but when my mom told me that she loved me no matter what scars or burns I had and wanted the world to see them too; it became easier. It was like I finally felt validated in who I was as an individual with all of my flaws.
It might feel tough at times, but if you want to make an impact on this world, I really think it’s worth fighting through.”
With Patience & Strength: What It Feels Like
