I have often wondered what the whole deal is about instant messaging and why it’s become a trend now to “choose” whether or when to respond to these. When did instant messaging in which ever form it takes become the platform we use to exhibit our self worth?!? When mobiles were a novelty we all got excited to receive remote communication and to have the comfort of connecting to our family and friends bridging any distance instantly.
With time, the “mobile” and the “instant” became a part of us and how we interacted on these, a platform to project our self worth started. We thought, ah but I don’t “need” to respond right now o can do it later or maybe not. For others it might be that the sheer distraction from all the other applications that are instant take up so much mental space and give you that high which might mean siphoning through even further what you will or will not engage with.
As our brains became noisier with so much excess information, our need for our own space came to be, and with that the need to screen instant messaging. And at times at the risk of losing friends family and sundry. What we value has changed. We overdid the instant and then it became a platform that says I am available, I am important or I don’t care.
In fact, when we have no associations at all with instant messaging, we will engage with messages when we choose to without the amount of filters we have now. We have filters because we are overwhelmed. In that state because we have given the mobile phone so much importance it has now become our tool to express our self worth.
But, of course it is not. It’s just communication. That’s all. When we are mostly balanced we don’t need to go through the drama we do about our instant messaging etiquette. The drama is there because it’s become a part of us. We have elevated the “mobile” just like the mind from a tool to our identity.
The mobile, social media, instant messaging and all are tools of communication. They are not who you are although how you use these will reflect back your own self.
Live with self reverence and let go of the self reference.