Amale Bouzlafa

I was talking to my little sister the other day about social media and the idea that society tries to mold people into programmed models, too drained to think clearly and easier to manipulate. It’s an idea that seems both ridiculous and unrealistic at the same time. It’s crazy how things change but still stay very much the same. It’s the same system in a different form. Social media has come to replace TV, but the problems remain the same.

I deactivated my Instagram account a few months ago, and I’ve been very reluctant to go back. I don’t know when I will return to social media, but what I can say is that it was amazing to see how much time I got back just from not having the apps on my phone. To be honest, I’m not even that obsessive of a user, I think I have a pretty healthy relationship with social media. But something about these apps is just wrong. The way they suck up your time and attention is very scary to me, and the scariest part is how little value you really get out of it. Yes, you could argue that you’re running a business and need to stay updated on trends (I know that was my argument to myself 😂). Or you could say, “Yes, but I have filters activated that allow me to only see helpful, insightful, and informational content.” But even with that, there are alternatives, and you don’t need to be on the app constantly to stay updated.

Spending half of my life fighting addictions helped me recognize the beginning of one and to cut it, before it becomes too overwhelming to stop. Because yes, an addiction is like a relationship, and to cut it, you have to be firm. In a lot of ways, social media is the modern addiction, and it has no remedies except cutting it! To regain your freedom, you either have to cut it or to limit it.

If there’s one thing I will always prioritize, it’s freedom. Freedom from society, freedom from expectations, freedom of mind… There are so many ways that society wants to enslave us: through school programs, through commercial programs, or even through the entertainment we consume. Being aware of it means you can’t go back! I remember realizing it while watching some TV shows , how much it would change my mind on things and mold my perspective. In a way, we could argue that modern entertainment programs are similar to propaganda. Now, I still occasionally enjoy a show or movie, but I am way pickier about the type of things I watch, read, or even listen to now because I know the impact it can have on my mind, my thinking, and my behavior.

It’s not so much about how these programs change your mind on things, our perspectives are meant to evolve and change. It’s more about how much they impact your behavior, expression, way of thinking, or living without you being aware of it. I’ve noticed how some movies or shows create an attractive image of scientifically proven harmful habits. For example, the hot guy drinking half a bottle of whiskey or the teenager smoking a cigarette in an attractive manner. These little elements, and the way they are portrayed, can influence sensitive minds to imitate these behaviors. It becomes very dangerous, as the targeted audience gets younger and younger each year. Seeing how easy it is to impact minds with an implicit lifestyle message in entertainment programs, it makes you wonder how easy it could be to incorporate a political or ideological message into these programs to manipulate minds…

Just some thoughts…

Trusting it will bring some light to someone’s shadow,

Amale 💫💙