Legend has it that there’s something called the curse of the attention whores. Once upon a time in the not so distant past there were no televisions, no digital cameras and no mp3 players. How did people survive? Arguably because they worked a lot, made lots of children and had lots of sex. It was a simpler time where there was much less choice. Everyone focused mainly on their daily lives and simply making it to the next day.
Eventually all of the aforementioned devices came into play and changed the way people saw leisure and entertainment. This was then followed by things like advanced video games and computers. These only amplified the level of engagement. And then came … the Internet.
Curse of the Attention Whores
Now I love the Internet. The Internet is quite possibly the best invention of the last century. But if you look at all of the other engaging things that came before, none were as potentially addictive; none had as much potential to effortlessly turn someone into a narcissist. The Internet not only appeals to several human senses simultaneously but it also gives people the opportunity to interact with the entire world with ease.
Gone are the days when devices were limited to granting personal satisfaction through engagement that was inward. The Internet gave rise to Social Media and now personal satisfaction is now more consistently derived from engagement that comes from external sources. To many people, contentment is now all about getting those numbers up. Gotta get the highest number of likes, shares and comments, baby!
Why Attention has become a curse for whores
“Look what my boyfriend got me today. I love him so much. He’s so special” *Posts Pic with husband kissing her while she shows off a diamond ring*
“Working as a doctor is the best job ever. I really like helping the patients. Thank you, Jesus. I am blessed!” *Posts pic of self in lab coat while patient lies in bed in critical condition at the corner of the shot.
My cutttttttttte baby. *Posts pic of baby too young to open its eyes and in tears due to a forced disturbance of sleep.
Now the cynical version of me would tend to really want to respond to the trio of scenarios above with (1) No one cares! (2) No one cares! (3) We still don’t care AND your baby is ugly! But due to the person I’ve fought so hard for years to become, I always do my best not to judge. But … and a big BUT … many people still need to come to terms with the curse of consistently, even if unknowingly, seeking so much external attention.
Less attention, more social. PLEASE!
Fact is, it is what is it. Social Media was made for people to be, well, social; it was made for people to share viewpoints and things happening in their lives with others. There’s no denying that. Sharing in itself is never the problem. What people choose to share, however, is a different story.
Another fact is that to some extent everyone is selfish. It’s like an unspoken curse. Everyone wants something; everyone wants to feel special and everyone wants to be noticed from time to time. But that’s still no reason to be bombarding the world every chance you get with your “oh too personal tales of success”. Because we also don’t care that your underwear no longer fits you the way it used to.
Attention! Life exists outside Social Media
The solution is simple: Recognize that you are human and will indeed need the occasional attention; but also recognize that whatever attention you may receive from an external source is temporary and often superficial. It’s always better to find ways to attend to yourself.
You can accomplish this through things like your career, hobbies, interacting with your family, friends and children or “showing off” (in real life!) instead of passive bragging to gain attention. And if you don’t believe me, just try posting that picture of your baby on Social Media and let someone in a really cynical mood stumble across it. Hope you enjoy chat wars!
You may say you don’t care what others think, but the reality is that you do. Else you would not be posting anything about your personal life on Social Media. Yes, it may be your life, but those who manage their need for attention grasp that it can be satisfied more intrinsically when they just live their life instead of creatively trying to tell others about it. Be blessed!
