Hashtag Break

by David Christopher Johnston

When I was younger the world it always seemed so clear

No social media to tell me what to think and to fear

And everybody wasn’t right all the time

And if I wanted to see my friends I’d ring them up on the landline

 

But nowadays this generation they all seem so mad

Yelling at me like it’s all my fault that the world is so bad

And telling me to “open up my eyes”

Well, how about you put your fucking phone down and go outside?

 

And what’s with all these sanctimonious celebrities ranting

On social media about inequality (from their iPhones, in their mansions)

Their agenda seems a little offline

When saving the world is in return for more retweets and likes

 

I won’t deny that the world is in a right awful state

But outside there are lots of people that you might not want to hate

Who are quite nice if you just give them a try

If you just put your fucking phone down and go outside?

 

Can I get a hashtag break?

 

So here’s an idea

What if we didn’t always share every thought we think

It might seem “out there”

But I’ve a feeling it’s going to make the world a better place

Because your views on the right, on the left

Who you hate, who you like, and what you’d do instead

Nobody cares

So get out of your armchair, you’re boring us all to death

 

I guess that I was asleep when the decision was made

To just hate everyone all the time

(You know, just to be extra safe)

But preaching on Twitter doesn’t make you a Saint

And selective tolerance of intolerance doesn’t make you “Woke”

It makes you insane!

So will somebody save me from this runaway train

It’s full of idiots and I don’t have the strength left to explain

That saving the world isn’t about keeping score

And bitching on Insta isn’t winning the war

 

What if we slowed things down

Would you feel any less angry?

(I doubt it)

And what if we talked things out

Would you consider trying empathy?

(I doubt it)

Fuck it, where’s the reset button?

 

Can I please get a hashtag break?

 

So here’s an idea

What if we didn’t always share every thought we think

It might seem “out there”

But I’ve a feeling it’s going to make the world a better place

Because your views on the right, on the left

Who you hate, who you like, and what you’d do instead

Nobody cares

So get out of your armchair, you’re boring us all to death

 

~

Copyright © 2022 David Christopher Johnston.

David Christopher Johnston hereby asserts and gives notice of his right under s.77 and s.78 of the Copyright, Designs & Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work of fiction. All moral rights are asserted.

All rights reserved. No part of this work of fiction may be reproduced or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the author. This poem is a work of fiction and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

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