Eight years ago, I wrote that social media had "pierced through our lives and engulfed it." Back then, we were mourning Orkut and obsessed with Facebook DPs. I argued that our "revolt" had become nothing more than a profile picture change, and our "struggle" was just editing photos. I called it pathetic then. In 2026, looking at where we are now, "pathetic" might have been an understatement. The Algorithm is Not Your Ambition Today, we don't just edit photos; we use AI to generate entire lives. We don't just seek likes; we seek "engagement metrics" to satisfy an algorithm that doesn't even know we exist. Our dreams have been outsourced. Our "5-minute motivational video" from 2018 has turned into a 24/7 stream of "hustle porn" and AI-curated perfection. We are still falling for the same trap I warned about: confusing being famous with being significant. The Sacrifice of the Real I’ll say it again, ...
It all started from ORKUT, which was at peak in 2008, a social media gateway. We have seen thousand debates and discussions over the social media issue, we have sort out the PRO's and CON's of it but what I say this social media has pierced through our lives and engulfed it. What is that on which our dreams are based on ? A social media meme ? or oneliner from great unknown geek ? Our motivational force is '5 min Motivational video' from youtube. Our creativity is photoshop, our aim is to have thousands likes, we aspire to have million followers, our struggle is editing pics or videos, our revolt is changing DP on facebook and whats app, our social welfare is ...