Fake media happiness

There's the complaint that today's media sets "unrealistic standards"; by giving people the idea that everyone could be famous, or rich, or gain excessive beauty, or living a luxury life without having to work; and that that's dangerous, because humans become frustrated when they can't attain these things by themselves.

That's likely true, but I think there is something far more dangerous here: that today's media sets seemingly *realistic* standards of life. What I mean is this: no matter if you go on TV, or youtube, or social media, and so on, there are people who smile, and meet with friends, or are eating in a restaurant, or being at a party / concert / festival, or lying in the grass, or on a beach, having a good time. Proposing to their future partners. Or getting pranked by their friends in a funny way. Buying new stuff / clothes / food, and enjoying themselves. And that can give the false impression that this is how life is. That this is what life is about. That people actually live like that. Having lives like that; with their worst worries being that their jobs suck, they get stuck in a traffic jam, or that an annoying relative comes to visit.

But that's not how most people's lives are. That's not reality. That's not normal.

Normal is that people have severe depression. Crippling anxiety. That people are homeless. Without work and below poverty line. That people are disabled. Terminally sick. Obese, scarred, disfigured, anorexic.

Normal is that people live socially isolated lives. That they have no friends. That they don't go to social events.

Normal is that they get thrown out of their homes. Go to prison. Get institutionalized.

I could go on endlessly here.

Normal is that people do not know how to be able to get through the next year. Or the next week. Or the next day.

This is normalcy. The actual reality. The things "the media doesn't want you to see".

Have you ever wondered why the most popular videos on the internet are always completely mundane and simple things (as i mentioned), like unboxing an item, playing pranks, visiting a park, and so on?

Because the majority of people *wishes* they could live lives of simple joys, events, and mundane stuff, where everyone generally is of good cheer, and friendly and - instead of living a life of suffering, like the rest of us.

And this media "trend" is indeed dangerous. Not only because it makes *real* people feel like they are lesser to those who portray these cheerful, fake, virtual lives.

But also because it conceals the real misery and suffering that exists in the world, and in most people's life.

And if you don't acknowledge it - then you can't fight it, and you can't change it.

But that's exactly what you need to do.