It's no secret that social media has demonstrated itself to be the most powerful and effective communication tool. It has made it easier for us to communicate with our loved ones all over the world fast and simply, and what I like more about it is that it's also very cost effective.
I remember how expensive it was to communicate with someone in the Middle East while in SA before the likes of WhatsApp and Facebook messenger; social media has made our lives much easier in terms of communication and transmission of messages.
But is social media also accountable for the sadness of half, if not all, of its users? Our generation is one of the smartest generations to ever live, tech and social media savvy, street smart, etc. We know so much more than our parents when it comes to technology and many other things but we lack stress management skills or we are emotionally immature.
A study shows that we are the first generation with the highest suicide rate in history. Is suicide a smart move? No, it's not.
Looking at the hopelessly sad content on my social media feeds, it's upsetting to witness how depression is winning every day. It is tremendously painful to see all these "rest in peace" every day, especially those that resulted from suicide.
I remember one time a girl uploaded many pictures of herself with a caption "goodbye world". We all didn't take it seriously, but later news broke that she jumped from the highest floor of a building and indeed she died.
Social media is not only a powerful communication tool, it is also a platform for each and every user to brandish their achievements, where they stay, what they eat, what they are driving, clothes, shoes and all their day-to-day activities.
Most, if not all, feel like they are not living brimfully because they don't have any of the materials mentioned above, they have nothing to demonstrate to their peers on social media. They feel like failures, forgetting that not everything which is portrayed on social media is as genuine as it looks, and that we can all win but not at the same time. We are different people with unique destinies and callings.
When you start comparing yourself to someone who is doing much better than you, you feel small and weighed down afterwards, which sometimes causes jealousy that can lead to your own sadness and depression.
And once you start looking at how others are doing in life, you stop living, you stop focusing on your own goals and you waste your precious time on things that can never ever pay your bills. The big question is, "is social media the cause of our sadness?" They say "life is what you make of it"; if you are sad and depressed today, don't blame it on social media, or anyone for that matter.
It's funny how we even proudly and confidently call ourselves a "sad generation with happy pictures" as if it's a captivating thing. We need to channel our mindsets to always see the bright side of every challenge we encounter and stop calling ourselves a sad generation because sometimes even jokes do manifest, especially when repeated.
• Mathebula is a Sowetan reader
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