Like Life; Like Whatsapp
Life and its characteristics when keenly observed can be related to some of the man-made tools that we oftentimes use in our day-to-day activities. These features tend to rank up from our interpersonal relations as social beings to our relationship with the Almighty. Hence, this piece is set to appraise the features of Whatsapp as a social media platform and how they are relatable with real-life contexts.
DISAPPEARING MESSAGES
Have you ever thought of our life challenges as being on disappearing mode? The problems life throws at us, too, leave with time. While some trials are forgotten within 24 hours, some take days, and at times a week or month long. However, some challenges become indelible in the brain when their horrible experiences fixedly linger in one’s memory. The memories stay but the pain they come with disappears with time. A day in absolute enjoyment can make one forget years of dreadful suffering.
STATUS UPDATES
Similarly to reality, we tend to see people just how they want and put themselves out to be seen. A depressed person would effortlessly post a laughing emoji and onlookers would believe all is well with him/her. In the moment of sorrow and despair, people decide to appear strong and resilient by hiding their true emotions for others to see. We view, smile and swipe to the next person’s status in conclusion that they are well-doing . Your neighbor that is playing a loud music in his apartment might, at that moment, be planning his suicide. What we display sometimes is totally different from what we are going through and that is life.
VIEW ONCE
This emphasizes that aspect of life when opportunity comes. Some chances life gives us at times cannot be revisited. Dr. Gab, on a day, told me that once you’re in contact with a prospective helper in your life, stay on alert in expectation of any kind of assistance he might ask to render you and seize the opportunity as rapidly as it comes. “Let me think about what best you can do to help me” might not later work forever. Opportunities might come to you times and again but never expect it to continue that way as life might have set it to be viewed but once.
END-TO-END ENCRYPTION
This can be related to our conversations with the Almighty only, as whatever you tell a person might be indirectly said to the whole world. By implication of closeness and intimacy, it is good to confide in people of close relatives but don’t be oblivious of the fact that your intimates have their own intimates in whom they also confide. If you wish to have an end-to-end conversation with any being, let it be with the Supreme Being, His angels do not eavesdrop neither do thay backbite.
CONTACT LIST AND CHAT LIST
We were born in a social environment to become social beings but the levels and extent to which we socialize differ from one individual to another. As some are psychologically sequel to their upbringing in a non-sociable manner, some just do so avoid drama from others. Thus, in reality, there are neighbors, colleagues and course mates that are not more than mere acquaintances, while there are those we have inclination towards through the means of frequent conversation and mutual understanding. Many people on your contact list are now dead but you are not aware, just like your neighborhood loses people you are not close to and you have no clue.
PINNED CHATS
When you care for people, you always look out for them even when they seem not to be forthcoming. In return, some of these people too prioritize your well-being on their ends too. That we are at some people’s beck and call does not mean that they are the most frequented by us. Of course, if they are the most frequented, then, no need for chat-pinning. But the fact remains that whether now or later, we can’t afford to allow their messages to go unnoticed. In reality, too, there are people we are bound to necessarily interact with on a daily basis without any deep connection, and on the other side are those that we always expect to hear from soon.
By and large, very many are the phenomena that can be related to real-life happenings. However, we need to pay meticulous attention to our surroundings before we can be able to decipher what can be likened to what.
Quadri Afolabi writes from Lagos State University, Ojo.