In pursuit of likes: are we losing ourselves in the digital world?

When Sartre wrote “Hell is other people,” he probably didn’t imagine that one day those “others” would be thousands of followers on Instagram, Telegram, and Twitter. And yet, this expression sounds more relevant today than ever. Because we live in a world where our “еgo” exists in two dimensions at once: real and digital. And the existential questions have remained the same, only now they have acquired a new look.

Think about it. Every post, every story, every comment is not just content. It is a small brick in the wall behind which another version of you hides. A version that is carefully filtered, polished, and tuned to receive likes and reactions. But at what point did we start believing that these hearts and lights determine our worth?

This whole game of “perfect version of yourself” turns into an endless race for approval. We are so afraid of being misunderstood or disliked that sometimes we forget who we were before all these subscriptions and likes. But what if it is difficult to discern the real "I" behind this digital mask? This is not an idle question. After all, being yourself in a world where everyone around you is shouting about what you should be like is perhaps the most difficult task.

Sartre and Camus spoke of freedom as responsibility for your own choice. So why do we feel constrained in social networks, where freedom of expression seems to be at its peak? Why are we afraid to post something "off-topic", something that may not collect the necessary number of reactions? Have algorithms really become our new philosophers, dictating what it means to be "successful"?

But you know what is important? All this is just digital decoration. The real value is not in the number of subscribers and likes, but in how honest you are with yourself. Because in the age of metaverses and blockchain, it's important not to lose touch with the only reality that really matters — yourself.

So here's a thought for today: who are you beyond likes and stories? And what if true freedom is simply being yourself, without checking every minute how many people saw it?

#social_networks #Instagram #Telegram #Twitter