What Is The Point

 ​A carousel of heartwarming photos. Heart emojis. Profound quotes. A haiku about relationships. ​On social media, everyone is a poet, whether or not they paid attention in literature class. How else will their followers know how deep and empathetic they really are? ​Once upon a time, social media was about making friends, posting photos of food, and reveling in cats doing funny things. Now, it has evolved into a pretentious sludge of superficial relationships.  It is all about public displays of love, even if real life is the polar opposite. ​Celebrities especially take great pains to show how relatable they are. It is essential for them to show just how much they are like you—except, of course, for the millions in their bank accounts.  From wearing sweatpants and au naturel makeup to dancing to the latest viral trend, some celebrities will go to great lengths to connect. Even if it means entering a kitchen to cook a meal they have no idea how to prepare. ​Bu...

  The year is all set to end, and while you are relieved, here come the invitations to family gatherings and parties that come with strings attached. You’re not just getting an invitation. You are being compelled to arrive with a gift or find yourself in a position to hear multiple taunts about coming empty-handed. Who comes to a party without a gift?  It’s like a ticket to the party. Nothing comes free, and the entry to the event is definitely priced at one gift, which must be priced at a reasonable amount.  But it’s okay. It’s one gift. One party. One obligation to a social event.  So off you go, spending your free time looking for the perfect gift or searching online for the one thing that will not break your wallet. After scrolling and searching for hours, you’ve found it: the perfect gift.  Or what you think is perfect.  On the day of the party, you go with a smile and carrying a bag of gifts you meticulously searched for and bought with your hard-earn...

A hero can save us... No, they cannot. They never do. Heroes are too busy ironing their capes, shopping for hair products, and ensuring their gadgets are updated. Saving the world? No, not right now. Not when new boots need to be bought. Us civilians have to lead boring, stressful lives. Wake up, stuff some breakfast in, work, do chores, sleep, and do it all over again the next day. The usual humdrum gets to us, but it doesn't elicit a response unless catastrophe hits. And then it's all about: I wish someone could save us. So we look at the sky, expecting to see someone wearing a cape and heading towards us with urgency. Their arrival will mean the end of all your problems.  But you've been waiting for an hour now, and your hero has not come. So you sigh, dust off yourself, and realize that you need to be the one who has to sort out this calamity. It's difficult, stressful, and even scary. You have to do things that you prefer not doing because it's unco...

This image was generated by AI The world as we know it will be transformed by AI. We will be traveling to space in no time. We will be able to work faster, and efficiently. We will be able to lead better lives, healthier and wiser. Because we have AI and our lives are forever transformed.  Except, we are not really using AI for its intended purpose, are we?   But we are using it to transform our images so we look like cartoon characters, or in the latest trending art style.  Worse, we are using it to interact with humans. And said humans on the other end are also using AI to reply. So…all we have managed to accomplish is get two AI to talk to each other. While we, humans, can’t bear to write a single line text to each other.  While we got to read profound and enriching literature from past authors, imagine what future generations will read. Years from now, robot archaeologists will discover writings from our times. It will be just as generic, mundane and uninspi...

  Just when you thought that romcoms were done for, that they were a genre from the distant past, and now you will never see another love story again, we have MATERIALISTS dumped into the mixing bowl.  Between thrillers and action movies that are taking prominence in the industry, we get a Romance movie that is supposed to take our breath away and believe in true love once more.  But in this cynical and cruel world, does love even exist?  MATERIALISTS kind of changes your perspective. Kind of.  Don’t expect to be blown away, and no it is not the romance story of ages or make you believe in unconditional love again. But it will give you fleeting moments where genuine care is shown that will make you feel…something I guess.  So what is the point of watching MATERIALISTS? Read below and find out.  1) You get to watch a good-looking cast ( Dakota Johnson , Chris Evans , and Pedro Pascal ) uplift a sleepy script.  2) You will see glimpses of realism....

Honesty is the best policy. ​How many times have we been encouraged since we were little to always tell the truth and be our real selves?  We grow up believing that being a good person means being honest. We integrate honesty into our lifestyle, choosing never to cheat, and realize that being truthful yields genuine relationships. ​As we mature, as the world exposes itself, and as we encounter people with vast experiences, another truth begins to unfold before us, one that baffles us: ​We are told to lie. What? ​But lying doesn't get you anywhere. It's wrong to lie. We don't want to be known as a liar, a manipulator, or a deceiver. You hold fast to morals and ethics, anchors in a confusing world. ​Guess how much time it takes you before this ideology clashes with reality? ​Almost immediately. ​The second you step into a classroom. Are you seriously going to tell your teacher you were watching a marathon of your favorite movie series rather than doing your homewo...

Rage bait is the word of the year! And ironically, it is doing exactly what it stands for. I mean, of all the words in the world, "rage bait" is chosen as a winner? However, the words in the running were not much better either. Aura Farming and Bio Hack. Okay, then.  For those who are struggling to learn the internet lingo, aura farming means projecting an image of coolness or confidence. Bio Hack is making small changes to your diet and lifestyle so that you feel better and work smarter. And of course, word of the year, rage baiting means posting content online that enrages people to the point that they engage with the content just to show how angry they are. You've been baited!  It just goes to show how, over the years, marketing has taken such an ugly turn. Prior to the rage bait era, people were usually compelled to click on articles if they thought it could help them, or motivate them, or at the very least, get them emotional. Now it's a test about wh...

  Another medical show…do we really need more of them? There are hundreds of them out there, some that are comedic, some which focus more on workplace romances then cases, and some which base characters on fictional detectives like Sherlock Holmes, and call it a medical show.  So what does The Pitt have to offer that is so different? I mean, sure it has won five Emmys but is it really that great? Well…kind of.  Here are all the reasons why THE PITT is a little different from the other medical shows.  1) No Time for Romance: Unlike other medical shows where romance tales precedence over fictional patients’ lives, The Pitt focuses on how many patients are taken care of in a span of an hour. There are no random hookups, no blushing interns, and the janitor’s closet is used by the janitor.  2) The entire season is based on a day: Other shows have done it but not many medical shows. The show highlights the busy lives of doctors and how much pressure they are in a sin...

Remember, there was a time when romcoms were the trend, and there were dozens coming out in batches every month? It didn't matter that the stories were repetitive or clichéd. They were feel-good movies that were entertaining as well. The good ol' days weren't they? Sadly, these movies quickly lost their turn in the carousel of trending genres and were eclipsed by action and adventure, then dark fantasy. Romcoms are sparse in the modern world, where viewers scoff at how unrealistic characters can be. Love? Ugh. What a waste of an emotion. Today's world is all about convenience and equal-pay partnerships, and usually short-term.  Why invest in a relationship when you can invest in trades and make money? Romcoms don't work in today's world because we don't see how putting someone else's needs before you helps in the long run.  How is giving up on opening a factory in a small town, helping the employment rate or the economy?  The town can still h...

“I’m going to be real with you guys. What you’re about to see is me in my actual habitat. I’m never going to lie to you. I have a big family, but now you are going to be my online family, and I am going to talk to you every day.” This is the hook most influencers use to bait people into following them and making them believe that they hold such an important position in their lives.  The scarcity of funny videos and loneliness leads many to feel like they are part of the influencer’s life. After all, the influencer is as natural as ever with them. They show their true selves on camera. Not a speck of makeup on them, and the lighting is always perfect.  They eat instant cup foods…just like us. They reach out for junk food and never gain weight. They love to cook but aren’t good at it. Every single moment is perfectly captured with the right angle, background, and sound.  The influencer is living the perfect life, and they are so humble.  It is easy to be enraptured by ...

It’s the festive season. There’s joy and cheer everywhere. It’s not the festival that’s being celebrated as much as it becomes about gatherings. Friends and families coming together to celebrate, that is what the festivals are about, right? Right? Nope. We were taught that is what the festivals are about especially from children’s books and family movies. We were told that it is family above everything else. That they are the ones who support you and will cheer you on, and can’t wait to see you and spend time with you.  But the reality is far from this. An invitation for any gathering is a prize for being popular. It is a form of validation that you matter to them enough to actually invite you.  The invitation is addressed to the family. But guess what? Everyone you are staying with is not regarded as such. There are politics involved, lack of communication, and oh yes, the never-ending popularity contest.  It’s almost as if in the adult world, festivals pushes our mental...

It’s been two five years already? Is she not over him yet?  It’s been a decade since your parents passed away; they are in a better place now. You should be moving forward, too.  It’s been twenty years, and you still miss your grandma? You mustn’t tear up at her memory, but remember her with fondness because she is looking down at you with a smile.  How many of us have not heard at least one of these confusing dialogues as we navigate through loss? Yes, quite a lot of time has passed since a loved one’s death, but no, the loss is still painful. But society demands you show how tough you are by getting over it quickly.  It’s almost as if it wasn’t a person who passed away, but a t-shirt that got tossed away in the garbage by mistake.  “You’re still thinking about them?” is wrapped with disingenuous words that are generic and supposed to offer comfort. Except they don’t.  Grief doesn’t have a deadline, did you know that? There are no rules (yet) about how muc...

Follow your dreams, they said. Chase your passion and the money will follow, they said. The question is... who is "they".  Are "they" descendants of an ultra rich family who have never worked a day in their life yet find it fitting to dole out real-word advice?  Are they sitting in their yachts, sipping champagne, and in any position to give anyone relatable, practical, and worldly advice? The answer is a resounding NOPE. Yet, because these are the words that give out impressions of hope and motivation, we swallow them up and use it as our life's new mantra.  If "they" can do it, so can we. Except, you're not the one with the million bucks sitting in your bank account. Your safety net isn't even a net. It's two strings attacked precariously together and under constant stress. One tiny movement, and it snaps! But we all dream anyway. We have aspirations. We always strive for a better life, and naturally, it includes a roof over y...

 It’s not our fault that we are fascinated with superheroes and have come to expect them to save the day. It’s the fault of those writers who make a living out of giving out false hope to impressionable minds, and then it is the fault of those who expose this material to you.  Superheroes came into existence much later than the proverbial Prince Charming . You know, the guy who comes riding on a horse after much of the trials and tribulations are overcome. He’s the one who serves the happy ending in a castle we never get to read about. If he’s riding about the woods and looking for princesses to save, does he even have a castle and any sort of royal duties ? But the better question is, what about the men? What of the distressed male who needs saving? Does a princess come get him on a horse or a carriage?  Perhaps it is this thought that prompted writers to create superheroes. Hey, men need saving, too, so let’s create these super beings that have superpowers . And not ...

Have you decided what you want to be when you grow up? You’re supposed to answer this when you’re barely five. You answer that you would like to be a teacher, doctor, astronaut, or own a chocolate factory.  The adult asking this question smiles and thinks you’re so cute for coming up with such innocent aspirations.  The older you get, the more serious your answers are expected to be. Owning a chocolate factory is no longer a feasible aspiration. You didn’t find a golden ticket or hit the lottery. You are supposed to pick the right kind of education that will lead you towards a career that will make you a lot of money.  But you’re not good at any of the sciences and can no longer see your dream of becoming a doctor come to life. And an astronaut? Are you kidding me? Heights give you vertigo.  Teaching isn’t a bad profession, but you don’t think you have the patience to handle a classroom full of students like you.  So, chances are your parents will decide to take...