'Aesthetic' seems to be the buzzword nowadays. Furniture, lifestyle shops, even coffee shops and restaurants tout their wares dangling the word. Even my 12 year old throw the word around in her description of clothes, art and spaces to be in. Even I am a bit guilty of this. I would love to check out the newest coffee shops claiming to have 'aesthetic vibes' whose Ads crop up regularly in my feeds. Come to think of it, very few rarely speak about having really good coffee. It seems 'instagramable' feels sell more than coffee does.
As a mom, to me it is quite alarming noting all these flashy, aesthetic posts in social and popular media. These are all what the children see nowadays. It makes them blind to what's real and authentic. They would grow up thinking that the standards that they have to live up to would only be to strive for material wealth, what's 'in' and 'aesthetic.' And to me that is such a hard pill to swallow. I'm privileged to have, had a lot of exposure to many communities/realities out there. That is why I'm so grateful for the work that I have and the many opportunities afforded my way.
Often what's real and raw and painful do not find their way to our newsfeeds. Unless one watch sensationalised news. Kids nowadays spend so much time in social media. They are exposed more to "sub-realities" and even fake news. They hardly look up from their phones to see their immediate surroundings even. Or be conscious of the people around them who love and toil hard for them. They are often bombarded by "flashy," "un-real" projections of influencers who claim to be living the life but who also edits out the hardships and struggles behind the scenes. Of course this does not include those who depicts what's really out there in the world and shed light on the various realities that many communities had to content with around the world.
But even I, who is well aware of this, could hardly "urge" my children to spend less time in the internet. Or be mindful always of what they watch and engage in. I am not with them 24/7 and even if I will be, Kuya Rod and Ate Janin are old enough to have the right to their own space and privacy. Oh I do remind them a lot and often I get "eye rolls" or nods of ascent but I know they do not really understand in full what I am trying to tell them. Only Forest tends to listen and engage when I'm in my "lecture" mode on this. Even with her, I try hard for it not to be "lecture-sounding," lest she would find the whole thing "annoying."
Sigh. Parenthood is such a vocation really. It's an everyday cross and challenge that one has to "consciously" take on. So help me, God. I am not looking for the "perfect" son or daughter. I just really want them to have an authentic unfolding of themselves, whatever that means for them.
