Priyanka Sharma

    consultpriyanka1@gmail.com

    MANY people say that they don’t care what others think of them. A select few among them really don’t but the rest are just pretending, wanting or living in the illusion of not caring.

    The truth is we care, we desire to be liked, loved and to be admired. Which is only human.

    For the people who would deny or would like to deny it, let me ask you this, do you have Facebook, WeChat, Twitter, Instagram or any other social media account?

    Do you share photos of your food, vacations, pets, your house, photos with your boyfriend or a group photos with your friends?

    Some can’t even start their day or make it to bed without sending out a tweet.

    Some people may argue that they just want to share their happiness or important moments of their life with family and friends, or that they are just “checking in” on Facebook or posting their travel photos to keep their friends and family updated about their whereabouts without incurring the cost of a long-distance call.

    But just how many of those online friends are really your friends? There are those you don’t even speak to; some you don’t even know and we all have those that we don’t even recognize but don’t remove them anyway.

    Now tell me this, when someone likes your posts or as it goes nowadays, “reacts” to a new photo of yours, especially if it is a selfie, does it make you happy or at the least bring a smile to your face? And when you get, I don’t know, maybe a hundred likes on a photo with your boyfriend or you in a new dress, do you get a little celebratory, maybe dance a little on the inside?

    Does it please you or maybe even make you feel important when the number of your followers grows on Twitter or Weibo?

    Then you care. You care how people, whether you know them or not, think about you.

    You care if they like your new haircut, removing that last ounce of doubt about your makeover. You care if they admire your newly decorated house reflecting your taste. You care if they find your boyfriend handsome or like a photo of you two together, increasing your confidence and for some reassuring them of their choices in life. It puts a cherry on top of your sundae if their likes are accompanied by a positive comment.

    And there is nothing wrong about it. It’s only human to care and be curious of what others think about us and how we are perceived in society. Human beings are a social animal and we can only survive by co-existing while caring for others and seeking care from them.

    We only have to be careful that we don’t get carried away and get obsessed with whether they like us or not.

    (The author is an aspiring writer with a passion for travel and photography.)