Once again another pointless internet trend has knocked everyone off their feet: when you throw Vans, they always land upright. Regardless of the truth behind that, it raises questions about how society functions. Are we, as a society, allowing internet trends, social media, and memes distract us from the harsh realities of our own lives?
Clearly, as seen through rising depression and anxiety rates in teenagers, something is being used to ignore personal issues rather than addressing them. Social media is being used to mindlessly scroll through for hours instead of joining the real world and facing hardships. Rather than accepting they aren’t good at science and need to study for tests, students put more effort into maintaining an online presence. Rather than accepting that their family isn’t picture perfect, people join internet trends to laugh and pretend nothing is falling apart. Rather than being a human being and facing their problems face on, society blocks out their issues with social media.
Social media is a numbing agent used to avoid the truth. And not the truth that everyone is facing, such as war and world hunger, but the truth that there are always bumps in the road, life isn’t going to go as expected or planned. It isn’t supposed to be easy, families aren’t always supposed to be supportive and united, people aren’t perfect, and that’s what makes it humanity. Ignoring humanity weakens our ability to function, and maybe that’s why society has turned into being entertained by pointless, time-wasting trends and videos.
