TwoCents | SOCIAL INSANITY - by Jefferson Nnadiekwe

How many years John had been in coma was unknown, but the miracle of his waking was the talk of the entire town. The glee of friends and family, the numerous wishes sent to him from strangers and requested interviews from media houses made everything a fan fare. While it was good news to others, for John, his reintroduction into the world was quite an interesting and confusing one. The world he had known was long gone, and he might have thought he was in heaven, but for the constant news of wars and terrorism that dominated the media space. These John could get used to, after all the world has always been in conflict. One of the things which bothered John was the new term they called 'woke', that seemed to influence the way everyone behaved and interacted with each other. The rules he had grown up with as a child were vilified, even the ones that ensured society stayed in check. In its place was a movement that cared not to understand the structure of a thing before condemning it to destruction. John witnessed in utter confusion as humans had become attached to the portable phones they called smartphones and something called social media. His daughter had told him social media was a treasure trove of information, but he couldn't wrap his head around the gross ignorance that persisted around him. Something else that chapped his hide was that human rights had exceeded all that he knew. There were now a gazillion rights and terms he needed to get acquainted with. Before he slipped into coma, there were two genders in the world, now there are a bunch with new ones being introduced every other day. John once craved for his favorite dish and there was only one spot he had in mind. In those days, John would go to this spot not just for the food, but because it availed him the opportunity to interact with a lot of interesting people. On the day, John visited the spot, his heart sank. Gone are those days where the hall vibrated with the chatter of different people and their respective ideologies. Now everyone was on their 'smartphones' making videos of their meals rather than relishing human company. Sensing his misery, his family thought perhaps he needed a companion. John's search for love went terribly - there was this unofficial war between both genders that posed a huge obstacle. Love & relationships like every other thing in this modern era had a different meaning. Immediate gratification and unrealistic standards ruled the day, even though a lot of people suffered in loneliness alongside unhappiness. John quest for companionship ironically worsened his isolation. John felt like a man out of time. It troubled him how much anomalies had been normalized, and the flames of social insanity had been stoked. As a child, John's mother always told him stories of how much the world would change and he always concluded it was for better.  Now standing in the future he heard predictions about, he never imagined he would be witnessing cultures crumble, identities lost, and individualism becoming something to be ashamed of. John wanted to cry, but what was he going to cry for? Everyone emanated an image of happiness even though he could see the sadness buried deep within. The news however would not die down. His miracle story was the trendy topic. It was however ironic that the man who experienced the miracle felt like he had been plunged in some kind of hell, and wished he never woke up. While the world celebrated John, he had concluded in his head that the world had gone insane.

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