Twinkle twinkle little big star?
Social media & influencers who can’t even probably spell yet
Over the last decade, social media has impacted people, irrespective of age, gender, ethnicity, etc. While we love influencers and it has become a somewhat accepted full-time profession for many people in the fashion, entertainment, comedy, art, culinary, and various other fields, there has been one trend that somehow doesn’t seem a good fit on the phone screens to me. Off-late I’ve been seeing a lot many young kids (from as small as 2 years to even those who are pre-teens) spending their time creating content for social media. Don’t get me wrong, I think content creation is a great way for a society to come together and express themselves and even unite in celebration or rebellion where needed. I laugh out with all my heart (and lungs) at some of my favorite content creators’ work and I use social media to connect with the world too. I’m not even going to be one of those people who will express deep concern over how social media is making our attention spans or human connections go to the dogs. I’m simply asking is it suitable for kids who don’t even know the world they’re getting into?
As parents or guardians, we try to restrict kids their screen time, and there has been a lot of discourse over trying to do this. On the flip side, there are parents who are running content channels that showcase the child in these pictures and videos almost on a daily basis, with topics and messages that are probably way beyond the understanding of even someone who is in their late teens. For example, I saw a young girl’s Instagram reel about heartbreak and how difficult it is to deal with something like that. Again, I’m not one who thinks heartbreaks are easy, I’ve had my share of burns there, but for a child to be exposed to a world that adults are creating, does it not interfere with their natural process of growing up and experiencing life just like every other person? I admit these profiles and the kids in them are adorable. They’re extremely cute, have potential, and display a lot of talent in learning and performing in front of a camera, not a skill many people in my generation can claim even today I know.
But behind these lenses is also a lot of make-up, a lot of bloopers, tiring rehearsals, and days dedicated to becoming popular on social media versus carelessly playing with a fake stethoscope and a doll whose one eye has been punched out. The amount of make-up and stress on looking “camera-ready” all the time, and more so the use of filters, is leading to a deep-rooted need to always look perfect and causing many such kids to grow up not liking their natural body. The instant gratification of 2000 people liking your boomerang or 40,000 people following your account leads to a need for attention and validation that can very rarely be matched in the world outside of our cellphones. Sometimes it makes me wonder whether it is more about the parents and how they want their child to be a “Star” in the world even before they’ve stepped out into it. To these parents is my question — “Remember when we grew up and craved to go back to those carefree slides in the park, just aimlessly swinging and piggybacking? Do you not yearn to preserve every ounce of that purity that is still not corrupt with the weight this world can have sometimes? Then why, oh why are you so eager to usher your children into the world of unhealthy competition, comparison, beauty myths, unrealistic expectations, hate comments, electronic radiation, and the need for endorsement and affirmation?
All I want to say is, I read a poem once and it stuck with me.
“ When the stars threw down their spears
And water’d heaven with their tears:
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?”
This work by William Blake, explains how we are all born as lambs, and with our experiences with life, we gradually lose the innocence that God created us with. He’s surprised to see that the same God who created these children, has also created this life that makes them into adults. So all I have to say is, preserve the innocence in you, and especially in your children till they really need to face some of the vices that society can present. Let them enjoy the beauty and utter joy of being benign children of God, and less crippled by the demands of society, earlier than they really need to.
Does it seem natural to you all?
