Chapter 13: selfie
Selfie is a picture that you take of yourself especially by using the camera on your smartphone. It is an image of oneself taken by oneself using a digital camera especially for posting on social networks.
The world is too cruel, people are only kind to those who has money, beautiful or handsome and to those popular. They treat them like a god, they bow down and worship those who is into this world. How about those people who doesn't belong in any of those choices? People who are just normal and ordinary.
The world sure is rude, you are not worth a thing if you don't have a power. In any places you can see powerful people rule a certain place. In a company, in a town, a country, a household, small businesses and in school. If you don't belong to people who holds everything, you are nothing. You will be just a normal person following those rules under them.
The world is unfair, the steelyard is not balanced. Those who are in bottom are keep on drowning while those who are in the top are keep on going up. If you're not pretty nor rich you will drown but if you have the face and the money, people will worship you.
These are the reality of the planet we live in. This is the true on what is happening around you. If you don't belong to any of those said criteria, be ready to fall and to suffer.
Millions of people worldwide use social media. Nine out of ten people have an account to all of the websites. Even a kid or an old lady knows how to use gadgets and post pictures. Eight out of ten have two or more smartphones or any devices. Nowadays, social media or phones became the world to people. Taking pictures here, posting your feelings there, every move you take people will know for they are posted in your account. 'Last weekend we went to the beach with friends. It is so much fun' 'I ate pasta for lunch' 'Day off today so I take my dog for a walk in the park' 'The manga of Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso is good. I just finished reading it. I used too much tissue' 'I'm in love with ******' 'I'm married' 'I'm in a relationship' 'I'm broke' 'Feeling blessed. Thank you for the gift' 'I'm watching Boku no Hero Academia right now' 'I'm in the library' 'I'm eating ice cream' 'Today is my birthday' 'Happy anniversary love' Those are just random post of every people in their social media accounts that every human being knows. Since it is created, lots and lots of people are addicted to it. Even a three year old kid knows how to create an account. A five year old girl taking pictures and posting it online. A seven year old boy owns the latest iphone. In their everyday life people can't get a day without phones in their hands, while walking, eating, taking a dump, talking with friends or family, studying, working, exercising, cooking and any other activities. They worship gadgets and they make it their world. Because of it also, there are lives that are taken, houses that are robbed, hearts that got broken, gold that are stolen, it is seriously affect a life to those who use it whether it is good or bad but there are consequences. There are every effect of actions you take so better think before you click, like and share.
In this generation of new technologies, there are people who are willing to do anything just to be famous, to have many liker, subscribers and followers in social media especially the teenagers nowadays and one of them is a sophomore high school student name Shoyo Nanika. She is really a fan of herself taking photos and videos in every action she take and uploading it to all her accounts. She is very active and joining different groups thinking that it may add in her followers. Thinking that she is that kind of person, she is not famous in social media. Her followers are ranging from 245 to 315, her reactors in her every posts are just 132 to 110 while the comments are 35 to 80. For some people having more than one hundred friends in social media is enough already and an achievement but for her hundreds are not enough, what she want is thousands.
Shoyo Nanika started creating her own account when she was ten years old yet she don't have that so many friends. You can tell that she's just a regular girl who is not that pretty nor rich, all she had is her self-confidence. Confidence enough to post all of her self portraits in every account she have. Confidence enough to be updated in every change in the social media.
Why do people want to be famous? Why they want to have so many followers? Why do they need to spend too much in for new models of phones? Why do they give their foods a photo shoot nor their pets or their things. Why?
It is being famous nor gorgeous means you are more superior than who is lower than you? Does it mean that you have the right and they don't? or just simply means that you can get what you want.
Nanika really admire and idolize every pretty faces she saw in the television, artists, models, actors or actresses, influencers, singers, bands and any other. They are really famous not just in the country but to the world and that she began to dream to be like them also. She began to dream to be like them. Dreaming, not until she woke up to reality. A reality that she is just no one, she can't do anything or have anything that she can be proud of.
Shoyo Nanika, beautiful name, right? Not until you see her in person. She went to every auditions just reach her goal, to be fame. Yet every audition, she fail. She can't even get to the top. She fail but she's not giving up.
In such a young age she learned how to wear make-ups, miniskirts and high heels. She also knows how to die her hair and curl them. Having too much piercing in every part of her body is also included while she was walking on streets. She was changing a little by little, and little she know she was already not herself.
Instead of buying books or anything she need with her allowance she buys the trend clothes or change herself for what is trend today. People around her can't recognize herself already but she was happy on what she is doing for this is the only way she thought to be more famous.
After she got home she tried the new dress she just bought and apply a new color of eye shadow and lipstick. She also curl her hair a little to fit more in the dress she bought. And wala! It is perfect, she turned herself around while looking at her own reflection in the mirror at her room. She was so happy that the dress fit to her and she never get it wrong that it is perfect. She can't believe what she was looking right now, like she was staring at the most beautiful woman on earth. And of course to remember this moment she take a picture of herself and post it online with a caption of 'an angel descended'. After an hour, it got so many likes and comments and even shares more than she used to. Upon seeing it like she was in heaven staring those things in just a single photo, a message popped up.
'Hello beautiful' is written in the message she just received from an unknown guy. Before replying to that text message she first have her research about this guy. He was a foreign guy in his twenties. He is tall and handsome, he also own a clothing line business in such a young age and also a model. He was so perfect to be an ideal man. There was also post from his account that he was playing guitar and good at cooking. He was a man that anyone could wish for.
There is a smile mark on her face in seeing those things from the guy who texted her. Without thinking anything she replied, 'hello handsome' After a minute the guy replied again saying, 'You are so beautiful. Actually the likes of you are my ideal type. Can you be my girl?' She can't describe the happiness she's feeling that time. It was her first time that someone asked her and tell her that he likes her. She thought that the man of her dreams already came true and she will be famous. 'Okay', she replied. 'Yes, I love you' 'I love you too'
After that they never spend a second without texting each other even they didn't met yet in person. They are already exchanging I love yous and vows not until the guy texted her to meet. He took a leave in his work and flew to the country just to meet her. From indescribable happiness to nervousness. She was really different to the picture she was posting, it is not her at all. Thoughts are bothering her when she read those text message like what if he will not like who really she is and turned her down. And thinking that she was already head over heels to the guy makes it harder for her.
The meeting day came and she was dressed the way she used when she posted that picture. It was already passed the planned time but the guy is still not there. In front of a tall tree in the park beside the swing at nine in the morning. Passed ten already yet nor shadows are not in sight. She kept on texting him but no replies nor answer to her calls. At exact eleven when she gave up and go home instead. Even she was looking forward to this day she was bit happy that he didn't came. Passed to the swing she heard someone call her name that makes her turn her back. "So you're Nanika" "I thought you are pretty but you are just a pain normal girl. Gosh I wasted a time and money just to see you. I even book a plane ticket in a last minute just to get here. I thought you were a big deal, I even show your pictures to my friends and they envy me. You were really different from those pictures. Are you sure you're Nanika?" Even she don't admit it, it hurt her feelings it hurts her so much hearing those words from the guy who used to say he loves her. Any moment she felt that a drop will come out of her eyes so she bow and instead of explaining or answering this guy back, she slapped him. She slapped him real hard that her hand is traced on his face. "So what if I'm not beautiful, if I'm just an ordinary girl. This is the real me whether you like it or not. And so what if you wasted time, money and a plane ticket just to come here and see me, did I told you to do that? And who is the first one texted me and said that I am his ideal type and I am pretty, is it me? You're are not even that handsome as I think of you, so it is just fair. I thought you are a handsome and rich guy but you are just a jerk. All I think is different so if you think you wasted too much on me, don't worry I also wasted too much on you" Nanika said those things in a bravest voice she could. She was about to leave when the guy stopped her by holding her right arm. She thought that he will apologize but what happened is the other way around. He punched her that make her lips bleed. "How dare you said those words to me. I am different from you, lots of girls are dreaming of me and I am very rich unlike you who looks like just a trash" "So… what if lots of girls like you, you still gone crazy to me. Where…where are those girls you're talking about. If they like you then they should be with you now and not with me thinking that you really exert too much effort just for me. Oh… I'm so touched" she really got into his nerve that he punched her one more time.
After that, they block each other from their accounts. Even she has bruises in her face she still have the guts to take a picture of herself and post it into her account with a caption, 'love hurts' Right after posting it someone messaged her again. Finally, she got the thing she's been wishing for. Her followers already reached thousands. She really is famous, not in person but in social media.
She still wear thick make-ups, short skirts and high heels while walking in the street. She still post her every action in her account. She still go on auditions and dream to be like those people she saw on screen.
Nanika is late for she just attend a concert from a nearby town after school. In her way, the guy from before showed up again. "Nanika Shoyo!!" Nanika's heart beat unlike the usual when she saw the guy came out from the dark shouting her name and he also seems drunk. She moved one step backward, two step backward then turn to run. The guy chase her while shouting her name. She turned right then was about to turn again but he reached her. He was holding her right arm tightly that hurt her. "What do you want, you're hurting me" "You, because of you I lost everything. If I just didn't met you I should still enjoying my life abroad but look what you made me do. Because of you I lost all the money I brought her and even my plane ticket" "You just got robbed, it has nothing to do with me. Then go to the police and ask for help. It is not really my fault to begin with. It was all your decision to got here, it has nothing to do with me" "So you're telling me it is my fault. It was you, if you just told me in the beginning that you're ugly as hell then I should've not came her and met this nightmare. It was your fault" Then the guy throw her in the bags of trash.
The next day, they found her lifeless body in the same spot. Her clothes are torn apart and a hard iron hit her head that brake her skull and also it look like she was raped before she got killed.
Shoyo Nanika, what a beautiful name just don't met her in person. She was doing anything to be famous and to be pretty. A social media and selfie addict girl who's phone is glued in her hands. She once wished to be like those people she saw on screen and now she is on screen. Featured in the news as a found dead person in the garbage.
Because she want to be perfect she already forgot who she really is. She forgot her true identity. Little did she know while trying to change herself, she was forgetting who she is. She's forgetting the Shoyo Nanika she used to be. A girl dreamer who is simple yet wonderful. And because of a single photo, her life was taken. Because of her dream all she had fade. Because she forgot what she is, even her can't recognize herself already.
Phones, social media, millions of people have and used it and thousand of people died because of it. They become addicted until it swallow their own souls without knowing it. They already gave their life to these new inventions in this generation.