What’s happening on social media today isn’t just about watching other people’s lives; it’s an effort to exist through that watching. As people look at the screen, they comment, judge, and take sides. For that moment, a brief sense of relief takes hold in their minds: “I’m here; I’m thinking.” But this is not a sense of self that comes from within. It is a borrowed feeling derived from reactions to someone else’s stage. When the video ends, when the screen goes dark, the same emptiness remains. That is why the act of watching is repeated. Another story, another video… The self seeks a temporary balance through the lives of others.
This situation is not harmless. It traps people in the role of spectators. Instead of building their own lives, it accustoms them to existing by consuming the lives of others.
On the other side of this cycle, however, are those who expose even their most intimate moments. For them, it is not a matter of freedom or openness; it is a state of being unable to hold on from within. That is why simply experiencing the moment is not enough; one must show that one has experienced it. Privacy ceases to be a private space and becomes material on display. Relief comes with approval, and balance is maintained as long as interest persists. Essentially, the problem lies not in sharing, but in the reason for sharing.
What emerges are lives that are flashy on the surface but hollow inside. Everyone is visible, but no one has any depth. Everyone talks, but no one listens. Everyone shares, but no one remembers. Watching is mistaken for living; being seen is mistaken for existing. Yet watching is not living; visibility is not identity.
Of course, the times call for the use of social media apps. The issue isn’t in the use itself; it’s whether it’s the center or the tool. Healthy use doesn’t replace life; it supports it. It doesn’t demand constant attention; every emotion doesn’t have to be shared. A strong sense of self also knows how to remain silent.
Here, a clear yet gentle warning is needed: Don’t devalue yourself. You don’t have to look at everything. You don’t have to share everything. You don’t gain value by consuming others’ lives or putting your own life on display. This isn’t a lesson in morality; it’s a call for self-respect. A wise person chooses. A strong person sets boundaries. A deep person doesn’t fill their inner world with someone else’s showmanship.
Stop being an extra in other people’s lives, and stop turning your own life into a constant stage. Take center stage in your own life. Because what endures isn’t what’s flashy; it’s what holds true from within. A lasting sense of self isn’t formed by watching or revealing—it’s formed by living.