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, louder for the 2026 crowd: Someone worked their entire life so you could have these luxuries. Someone fought on the streets for the rights you now use to argue with strangers in comment sections.
When we spend our energy "standing tall in a digital crowd," we are letting those people down. We are trading our human heritage for a viral moment that disappears in 24 hours
As the line from Fight Club Movie goes: "You are not your job, you're not how much money you have in the bank. You are not the car you drive. You're not the contents of your wallet."
In 2026, we need to add a new line: "You are not your follower count."
I am still on these platforms. I still use the apps. But I refuse to be consumed by them.
Thrive for the beauty of the real world—the kind you can’t capture in a prompt or filter. Your worth is still, and will always be, more than that profile. Use the tool, but don't let the tool use you.
It's been 8 years since I first asked: Don't you think we are letting them down?
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