Nowadays, as I skim through social media, I am astonished and worried at the amount of information people put out in a bid to let people know they have arrived, who they know or which social function or event they are attending.
I may be a bit weird but find it a bit of a show off to post pictures taken with people just so people know that I know them. When I go to events like parties or concerts, I take minimal videos for the sake of preserving memories, but I am more intent on living the experience. I therefore find it strange that people spend a lot of time taking videos of an event rather than enjoying the event itself. I find it embarrassing when people take pictures of others without their consent or photobomb pictures so they can claim they were in the same event as someone else without respecting people’s privacy.
Let me make myself clear, I have no problem with people taking pictures or videos for posterity and even posting them to educate or entertain others. What I find detestable, is when people use it to chase clout to tell people who they are and who they know. I am of the firm opinion that I do not need a picture taken with anyone to let me know that I know them and I am content in my knowledge of knowing who I know without anyone else knowing.
In my opinion, the question a lot of these videos and pictures are asking is the same question asked by Alex Mascot Ikwechegh a serving member of the House of Representatives representing Aba North/ South constituency before assaulting Stephen Abuwatseya an Abuja based Bolt driver. Do you know who I am?
Several people have stated their opinions on the incident but the best expose on that incident, was a short video posted on one of the platforms I belong to, which showed a man hurrying up to an airport counter obviously in a haste and when the attendant tried to correct him, he retorted “Do you know who I am “. Her response to that question was epic as she promptly apologized and announced on her microphone to the hearing of all, the giggles of many and the embarrassment of the man, there was a man at her desk who didn’t know who he was and needed help.
In our society today people are eager and desperate to tell people who they are and it’s needful that we start to look at what drives these actions or rather mentality ? Why do people leverage their identity or position to assert control, gain special treatment, or escape accountability? Why is there a compelling need to establish superiority? What makes a man like Alex Ikwechegh think that he is superior to a Bolt driver.
Why do we feel driven to display our wealth and success as a marker of social value? I saw a lady on instagram getting ready for a party and she displayed her clothes, two pairs of shoes and bag, two sets of jewelry and three pairs of glasses as she had not made up her mind which of them to wear, a wad each of N1000 and N500 notes, her bottles of perfume etc. She is middle aged, a hard worker and can well afford her lifestyle, but I was a bit put off by her display as it was rather unnecessary
Why do we hasten to share images with influential figures in an attempt to convey that we are “in the inner circle” of a celebrity, politician, or influential personality, which can, in turn, boost our perceived status? . Why do we go to parties and stand demurely whilst the video men take our images from the crown of our head to the sole of our foot, taking time to show the details of our clothes, shoes and jewelry just to advertise the fact that we are wearing expensive stuff? Why can’t people seem to attend events anymore without someone recording their every movement and restricting others from enjoying themselves at the event because they don’t know where the videos will end up?
I understand that image is everything and that one has to maintain a constant presence in today’s world where attention is fickle but I just wonder if we are not overdoing it. If we are not over exposing ourselves, if we are not playing to our insecurities and emotional issues. If in an attempt to tell people we matter , we show them how desperate we are for attention and validation.
People who constantly seek approval by flaunting their status and achievements often have an unfulfilled need for validation, are insecure whether or not they admit it and often have nothing to offer others apart from their wealth and position because they left the grooming of their personality to the accumulation of the flighty things that they think will give them fulfillment.
There’s value in knowing and acknowledging your worth and not having to ask people to determine who you are. There is power in treating everyone equally irrespective of their status for real respect and admiration stems from humility and kindness, not power.
And before you my reader, start to smirk and point fingers, how many times have you asked a teacher in your child’s school, or the receptionist at your friends office or security at your friends house who asks you to follow the procedure for visitors even though you’ve been there several times, if they know who you are or who they are talking to.
A lot of us are guilty of wanting to show off what and who we know and what we have and there is really nothing wrong in enjoying one’s riches and wealth. It’s the overkill that I think we all find worrisome, it’s the determination to put ourselves in the faces of people who don’t want to see us or who are not bothered with what we are up to that is disturbing. It’s the fact that like the King who was naked but thought himself most beautifully dressed as he walked in the town centre, we cannot see how our actions show everyone our insecurities, low self esteem and need for attention and validation which is lacking within us.
In a world dominated by image and status, it’s easy to fall into the mindset that our worth is measured by what we have or who we know. However, true success lies in personal fulfillment, resilience, and character. While there’s no harm in celebrating one’s achievements, the constant need for external validation will create inner dissatisfaction.
By the way if you don’t know who you are, who are we to inform you?