human tweeting

0

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 singularity 
manifesting augmented reality 
replacing ourselves with avatars 
escaping everything 
we have already forgotten

Daniel Artson is a writer and poet.