Do we still write to tell stories or to get impression?
Fun fact is I took up Bachelor of Arts in Communication at
Tarlac State University because I wanted to create something out of all the
thoughts I have that keeps on spilling from my head. I was a lonely child and I
don’t blame anyone for it, I chose to be like that as a defense mechanism, I
have books for companions and imaginary characters for friends and it was
enough.
Looking back, I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to be, just
that I love to read and write essays so I decided to pursue the program. I
would have love to author a book that people will find inspiring actually. Honestly,
people expected me to follow down the path of my mother and become a teacher
but it just doesn’t speak to me. I once share from a previous blog post how I love the academe too much but I just can’t see myself being the academe
for the youngsters. I don’t have the patience and passion to wake up every
morning for the next decades and teach, or at least not yet for now.
When I was on my first year of college I created a blog so I can have a channel for my thoughts that I wanted to out but don’t want my
friends to know about. I write and publish posts without inhibition. For me it
was more therapeutic just letting it all out, and fulfilling when organic
readers from all over the world comment and say how they can relate to my
sentiments.
As I grow older (wow big word haha) and with the influence
of social media I somehow become more shy and hesitant on what I post and share.
I consider myself as a writer or blogger but there came a time where I feel so
scared sharing what I wanted to say.
It’s actually weird because social media was design to be a
platform for storytellers to reach wider audience but it feels like a trap for
me during those times. People use social media to their advantage that it went
overboard.
People post and share stories just for the sake of likes,
reach, and impression. Well, most of the times.
I admit that I’m one of those too sometimes, aren’t we all?
We based our worth on how many likes we get from our posted photos; it’s now
where we get our affirmation to boost our confidence.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with that as long
as you know the boundary of what is virtual reality and what is real reality.
We don’t realize that we’re so dependent on virtual world that it becomes our
reality little by little.
We now don’t create to tell stories because we create to
reach and attracts brands and advertisers.
We became this passive-aggressive people where we only react
if it will make noise and warrant us likes.
Just recently issues about a blogger questioning an
international media company about their basis to conduct interviews for
bloggers, and what I notice is that the blogger keeps on telling the staff of
that media company about how some bloggers have higher reach and engagements
compare to the other blogger which the media outlet interviewed, and how unfair
they are. Again, I do not have intentions to dig this issue up, no need for
trolls to linger on my space. Thank you very much.
The thing is we based our place in hierarchy which is based
on numbers. You are famous and brands will get to you because they want to
market, never mind the content.
You have the opportunity to make things better. You have the
power to create and inspire people to do more. People don’t need articles that
are well written, it doesn’t need to be intelligent because google and other
search engines already does that kind of job, giving of information. We need humans and their stories of being real
and having a feeling. We need someone that we can relate to. We need stories that
we can hold on to for our hope and faith whether it’s bad or good.
Do not be afraid to share bad stories because life is not
just all about the good. Be real and show your pains, everyone is hurting and
someone needs something they can relate to.
Share your stories because they are worthy to be told.
Do you have stories to tell? I wanna know, comment down below.
1 $type={blogger}
"You have the opportunity to make things better. You have the power to create and inspire people to do more."
ReplyDeleteThis sums up our philosophy at The Ugly Writers. Thank you for this inspiring piece.