going through your instagram feed
desperately trying to reconstruct your history
artfully revealing yourself
through clever angles and snapchat filters.
what happens when children
lose sight of themselves
via the anti social amplification
of apps and social media causation
coupling their anxiety and self hatred
cutting through layers of dermis
acting out in so many little ways
show me your arms
is what a parent should never have to say
desperately hoping
to never again find fresh scars
through the darkness we walk
with our backs to the light
we are all alone surrounded by everyone
staring at screens
unaware
missing connections
swiping left or maybe right
all we will eventually know
through neural links and nano bot pathways
chained to our slave labored devices
illuminating our expressionless faces
designed to make us more social
we are unable to speak with those around us
stepping into traffic unaware
of intimate human interaction
situational awareness
constantly confirming we don’t care
people are screens blurring past
break light trails at night
lucid hallucinations
unnoticed apparitions
in a virtual reality environment
of disconnection
we all lie down with our devices at night
and tie off our arms in bed
chasing likes for dopamine hits
seeking validation from ai algorithms
designed to make us emotionally engaged
we pledge allegiance to our tribes
providing clicks
recalibrating data for profit
our phones defining our lives
we are the singularityÂ
manifesting augmented realityÂ
replacing ourselves with avatarsÂ
escaping everythingÂ
we have already forgotten
Daniel Artson is a writer and poet.
