#forever a phone obsessed gen z kid | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

uwua3 · 4 years ago

Note

Um hi! I was wondering if I could get headcanons on kazunari spending time with an old friend after being separated for a long time? Thank you so much! 🌸

of course! i’m sososo happy for this request :O it allowed me to get closure for a similar experience i’ve had, so this was healing ♡ thank you so much, i love you!!! (^з^)-☆

summary: sometimes, friends aren’t forever. nevertheless, friendship break ups were definitely more painful than romantic ones

warnings: angst, breakdowns, closure, crying, friendship break ups, hitting (jokingly), insecurities

author’s note: as seen in the title, this contains lots of social media (especially tik tok) references! please read this and understand, it’s okay to not be friends with someone anymore—not everyone is meant to be your bff, and that’s okay ! you’re okay ♡ (reminder: this is a platonic writing! no romantic feelings whatsoever)

word count: 5,267

music: electric love – børns

tik tok famous

🌻🎨 miyoshi kazunari

the kazunari you were best friends with was gone—instead, it was someone you didn’t recognize

you scrolled through the account tagged in an ad promoting a play in your area, the stranger familiar in a painful way. why you had clicked, you had no idea, but here you were: stalking your ex best friend’s instablam profile

it felt like high school again. laying in bed between four pitch black walls, with nothing but your phone illuminated by kazunari’s smiling face in a trending post. nights spent thinking about the artistic popular boy in your grade caught up to you even in university

swipe. another selfie of kazunari grinning with his friends. swipe. a group photo with his cast members, apparently. swipe. the same promotional poster for his company’s play that was just advertised to you not too long ago

you stared at the screen, mindlessly scrolling through each and every single post just to see his face again and again. there was no reason to, you hadn’t thought of him in years

but... why couldn’t you look away?

before you could end up years in advance of his perfectly structured feed, a notification appeared at the top of your screen

kazu-PIKO started a live video! watch it before it ends!

your finger hovered over the rainbow circle now around kazunari’s icon, hesitating due to the countless worries in your head. what if he remembered who you were? though, with a followers count like his, he was maybe too famous to even notice

when you decided to leave his life for good and ended the friendship before senior year, you never expected to find him again. you had moved on and treasured the good memories before everything became a mess, but now, all you wanted to do was see your best friend again

sighing, you decided it wasn’t worth it. there was no point bringing up the past, it was a process but it was time to keep letting go. you were about to exit his profile but you must’ve misclicked, because suddenly you were brought to kazunari’s slightly sweaty but energized grin on the screen

you could’ve left the live any time. pretended like none of this happened and you could never see kazunari again in your entire life

but... no, you stayed and settled back into your bed, watching the screen as kazunari talked on and on

he was wearing an elaborate costume you were sure he just finished performing in, his cast members bustling around him excitedly in what seemed like a dressing room. it must’ve been closing night, considering the bouquets of flowers all around them from adoring fans and more

“what’s up, what’s up~?” kazunari yelled out, a chorus of shushes in the background apparent even as he laughed. taking a quick gulp of water, kazunari said something to a person behind the camera with a wink and promise of hanging out post after–party. you followed the comments, all of them congratulating kazunari on his final show of the season

he was always the more popular, friendly, and extroverted one. of course he had a fanbase, he was meant to be in the spotlight. and, you... weren’t

“kazu here! wanted to see how everyone liked summer troupe’s newest play~ how’d i do? super good?” kazunari giggled, resting in a director’s chair as the mirror behind him reflected four other people trying their best to avoid the camera (wait... was that famous child actor tenma sumeragi—?!)

“you know... we’ve been thinking—” kazunari started, stopping with a loud protest when a towel hit his face. “stop thinking, you only get bad ideas.” a rough voice complained, the tone harsh but quickly turned into an accidental yelp when kazunari panned the camera to reveal a young green–haired boy who moved to the side to hide

laughing again, kazunari said something about how yukki–chan was too cute for his own good before continuing his statement, using the towel to wipe his forehead

“anyways~ isn’t it time for a mankai instablam?!” kazunari exclaimed, the chat matching his vibe by keyboard smashing to express their support. you wondered why that name rang a bell, but ultimately became distracted by kazunari’s effortless sunshine disposition

“frooch—” a quick side eye glance to his left with a nervous laugh, “sakyo–san! definitely meant that... i love you, sakyo~” a kiss was blown in the same direction and a defeated sigh of “kazunari...” was heard

“sakyo finally let us kids have some fun and get instablam for the theatre company! run by yours truly, but posted by everyone~ check it out!”

you noticed he dropped the username in the comments and when you looked back up, it felt like he was looking into your eyes again. you missed him, a lot

you followed the mankai profile, watching the count rise up as you got lost in the numbers. he wouldn’t notice, he couldn’t have, he would never

when the live ended, it felt like the room was suddenly too quiet. like you were missing your other half... you ignored it and went to bed, tired from social media

(hours later, kazunari let out a sigh of relief, closing the door to his dorm gently as his back slid against the surface. he hit the floor softly, his mood ruined once he pulled out his phone and scrolled through the recent followers again. he never thought he’d see you again, but here you were, following his company’s instagram)

(it had been a long time since he missed you like this. kazunari turned in from the party uncharacteristically early, just to stare at your profile. if only he could follow back)

you didn’t know when it became a habit, but the first thing you did when you woke up was check the mankai instablam. one thing led to another, and you’d find yourself continuining your day but with the casual obsession of seeing if it was kazunari who posted

over time, you learned the company members’ names just from the sheer content twenty (20) boys could produce. from following the profile to catching up on the blogs to every livestream in between, it was an understatement to say you were a fan

you never did follow kazunari’s personal blog, but he would always be your favorite. something about his acting and friendliness drew you in all over again, fighting to be the first to like his new update

sure, at first, you didn’t physically recognize him. he had dyed his hair now, a much more vibrant blonde with stylish and trendy fashion to make him stand out. his black hair and basic school uniform days were gone and only in your memories

but, throughout the years apart, he had remained the same. once a people pleaser, always a people pleaser, you suppose. you could never keep up with his intense energy and rambunctious vibes, he was a force on his own

mankai_company just posted a photo!

you subconsciously smiled when you saw kazunari posted again, this time a selfie instead of the usual group hang out photo. he seemed to be in a track suit inside the practice room, his reflection showing it was just misumi making a triangle with his hands behind the phone

(some part inside you wished you could’ve taken cute bonding pictures together with kazunari... but that time was gone now)

you were about to scroll through the rapid comments before you noticed the caption with the typical kazu stars and emoticons

“heya mankai fam~! ^_−☆ check out our newest tik tok account! @ mankai_company ~ see ya there!!! – kazuuu ✨”

you weren’t exactly shocked to see sakyo finally let the gen z kids of the ensemble finally get their hands on a shared tik tok account. switching to the other app, you followed and put on notifications like always

maybe it was following mankai that changed the algorithim, but suddenly your feed on tik tok was... different, to say the least

kazunari’s rising popularity wasn’t just from his theatre gig, but also his own individual account. of course he had his own content, you should’ve known

kazunari was becoming a well known tik toker who often posted anything under the sun. dance videos, funny pranks on his troupe members, and acting povs that were way too professional

you didn’t think anything of it until you had swiped through your “for you” page, liking anything that made you laugh and find momentary serotonin in the humor. as you were about to skip past one, you noticed the username

kaz-PIKO: like this and i’ll message them~ ☆

message who? you restarted the tik tok only to see kazunari was in his usual training outfit, the yellow and black tracksuit and gold headband as he sat in front of the practice room mirror with his phone recording his reflection

(you noticed it matched the outfit in his instablam post that advertised the mankai tik tok account a week ago)

reading the text that occassionally came in on screen, you held your breath as you made the connections

kazunari pointed to a corner where the colored text appeared: “i have this best friend i lost contact with...” next, a cut to black when he covered the camera with his hand. then, a quick transition of all the photos you had ever taken with him with your face covered with a sticker

(you didn’t think he’d keep them in his phone after what had happened)

“i miss them, they were everything to me.”

(he was everything to you before, too)

“i noticed they followed me recently, should i dm them?” the video cut back to kazunari who shrugged and it ended there

you released a deep breath, pausing your daily afternoon scroll to fully comprehend the situation

of course kazunari noticed. he was too perceptive for his own good, he could never forget a face, or username, for the life of him

but was this... a sign? a call out from the universe to have closure from such a long friendship that defined your youth?

you didn’t bother opening the comments, you didn’t need anything convincing you otherwise. you moved on, ignoring kazunari’s latest tik tok even though it stayed on your mind all day. you couldn’t think of anything else

never in a million years did you expect to find yourself back as your high school self, hopelessly wishing you could be worthy of your childhood best friend. this time, you were just a little bit older

kazunari took his ten minute break after helping summer troupe with moving stage props, sighing as he refreshed his tik tok account again. the views kept going up, yet, no like from your account

all he needed was a like from you, some signal you were ready to talk again, and he’d message you right away

but until then, kazunari pocketed his phone and distracted himself with a loud cheer for the snacks director brought to the stage. he would have to patiently wait for you to see

another few days pass before kazunari is doing the same exact thing as you—scrolling through tik tok and sending them to active groupchats and other friends

then, it happened

going viral online wasn’t anything new, but not to this level

thousands of comments made kazunari’s phone ping like crazy, everyone insisting on knowing who the person was in his latest tik tok. it seemed like the algorithim grabbed his video and sent it to every person’s fyp, because suddenly all the spotlight was on him to go send a message

at first, kazunari was overjoyed with this new level of attention. how cool! that just meant more instablam likes~ he hoped his art posts would receive the same recognition, so he scrolled through his comments only to see the most liked comment

wait, isn’t this [insert your @] from high school?

oh my god

your phone was going off consistently, the tik tok notification soind buzzing on your bed. you sleepily woke up from a short nap to hundreds of people mentioning you. oh no... what had you done now?

you opened the tag. it was the same kazunari tik tok you made a point to avoid before. but now, it came back, louder than ever

kazunari was generally tik tik popular, but not this famous! you checked the comments and noticed your friend had started this chain of tagging. of course they did, you rolled over to try your best and muffle your scream in your pillow

if you didn’t like his post now... there would be no more chances to ever speak to him again

lifting your head to stare at the screen in front of you, you had never thrown your phone at the end of your bed so fast after double tapping

(kazunari almost missed it, but when your username flashed across the top of his screen, he simply switched apps to go into his finsta to scream)

(whoiskazu: AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH THEY LIKED MY TIK TOK I HAVE TO DM THEM WHAT DO I SAY JSJFJSJCJD HELP?!?!@!:!,!,’&@:@;’???)

(nottenma: please be a normal human ,,,)

(princemukkun: you got this, kazu! i support you!)

(misankaku: 🔺🔺🔺 say that)

(yukiruri: SHUT UP I CAN HEAR YOU FROM ACROSS THE DORMS)

(whoiskazu: no ❤️)

after lots of encouragement from the only two summer troupe members who supported him, misumi & muku, kazunari calmed down to stare at the open chat log. all he had to do was say something, anything, and things would go from there

but sometimes, a picture spoke a thousand words

ping! kaz–PIKO followed you!

kaz–PIKO sent you a message:

when you opened the dm after pacing nervously in your room for a good minute or so, you subconsciously let out a sigh of relief and couldn’t help but laugh

of course, only kazunari would send you a meme of a bunch of pink hearts

it was like time never passed between you two. one meme led to another anecdote of gen z humor and before you knew it, it was like you guys were friends again

things were always easier over text, however, so when kazunari suggested you both meet up, you stopped typing and reread the text over again

kaz–PIKO: i’d love to hang out with you!!! ☆ when are you free~? :D

your anxieties were relieved for a moment once he double–texted a cute pleading sticker. it was so like him that you actually considered seeing him even if it had been years since the last time you both parted ways

it was too late to back out now, you both knew you missed each other and were better people now. university maturity was just a simply different time and place in a teen’s life compared to figuring everything out in high school

on the other side of the screen, kazunari couldn’t help but feel a little nervous on what he said. he was always too forward in wanting to interact with people, but maybe this was pushing it

he didn’t exactly forget you were the one who ended the friendship. but, so much time had passed it was better left unsaid. he forgave you a long time ago; you both had emotionally become new people with healthier habits and more refined personalities. what was there to hold a grudge about? (or at least, so he thought)

kazunari was just worried you didn’t feel the same way and he was opening an opportunity for you to hurt him again

“this is so not cool!” kazunari huffed, having a pillow thrown at his head after he stumbled back. it felt like deja vu, why was he always the victim of yuki’s aim?!

“yo, friendly mcextrovert, you forget we actually have work?” yuki rudely reminded him, but had a hint of concern in his narrowed eyes. the two creative geniuses of mankai were huddled around kazunari’s laptop to finish designing the posters. obviously, with fashion extroidinaire yuki’s input on color (yet, kazunari was most definitely focused on other things besides digital editing)

“ah, sorry~” kazunari weakly laughed, the look in his eyes not quite right. yuki hummed, unconvinced, before turning back to the screen with spare glances at kazunari’s slouched frame. the two of them continued to work in uncomfortable silence before yuki sighed, pushing the laptop further away while rubbing his forehead

“ok, ok, i give in. what’s got you so down?”

kazunari raised his eyebrows in surprise before quickly putting on his usual front, grinning as he flashed a cute peace sign. “nothing~ you’re seeing things, yukki–chan!”

yuki smacked his hand down with a very obvious eye roll, ignoring kazunari’s dramatic complaints about his unnecessary use of force (“ow! so not nice, yukki–chan!” “can you shut up for one second?!” “no, i cannot~”)

“i’m seeing you’re stressing about something and it’s interfering with our work. so, spill.” yuki pretended like the facade was all for work, but when he completely turned his body so he was facing kazunari, closing the laptop in the process and making sure there were no distractions in the process, kazunari genuinely smiled

“awww, is yukki–chan worried about his bff~? you love me—” “i’ll end you right here and now if you don’t start talking.”

silence, then the realization, oh, he wasn’t joking. so, kazunari rubbed the back of his neck with an awkward attempt at a laugh as he glazed over the details of his latest problem. yuki listened attentively, not making a single sound as he decided to rest his hands in his lap

“okay.” yuki finally said and kazunari did a double take. “okay?” kazunari almost couldn’t believe it. it literally took all his strength to be emotionally vulnerable for once, and this was the response? kazunari blinked before yuki patted his shoulder, though he moved exactly like a robot who never functioned around humans before

“how do you feel now?”

kazunari thought about it some more, reaching out for his sketchbook before yuki blocked his hand. “you know, you can’t keep distracting yourself from your feelings. it’s okay to be, not happy, all the time.”

kazunari stopped and slouched further into his frame, trying his best to avoid the effect of the call out. ouch, by the way

it’s not that big of a deal, kazunari thought as he fidgeted with the zipper of his jacket. the sound was very prominent in the quiet room now, but yuki patiently waited for an answer

“i’m... scared, i guess? people, people always leave me. i couldn’t be the right person for them last time, what if i’m not a good friend?” kazunari rambled for once, a weight getting lifted off his shoulders when he verbally expressed the number one fear haunting him. yuki nodded, clearly about to disagree before he sympathetically pulled kazunari into an one–armed hug. kazunari returned it, avoiding eye contact as he stared at paint stains on his shoes

“it’s okay to be your true self. mankai likes you for who you are, right? especially, summer. we’re friends.” yuki explained, and kazunari let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding in. maybe that’s all he needed to hear, because he leaned his head on yuki’s with a desperate attempt to not cry all over his friend

“you can cry.”

and kazunari finally faced the pain and trauma that came with a best friend leaving, closing his eyes and trying to stifle his own cries. yuki didn’t say anything again, just rubbed kazunari’s back as consolation as kazunari hid his face away from sight

“i, i just wanted to know what i did wrong. why am i never good enough? why can’t anyone ever stay? why is it my fault?” kazunari sobbed, curling into himself as he failed to maintain his usual composure. yuki continued offering silent motivation, knowing all kazunari needed was someone who listened and understood

“i... i will never be better. i’ll never be someone’s first choice, my efforts will never be enough. i want to be worthy of love.” kazunari mumbled, settling down as he realized the severity of the situation. it was the first time he cried so honestly to someone, he was about to pull away before yuki looked into his eyes with a soft smile

“you are, very much so. you deserve validation, happiness, and anything in between. your past isn’t your fault, kazu. what someone did to you was out of your control, it’s not an indication of what you’re worth.”

kazunari nodded, finding comfort in the words since they came from yuki. yuki stood up after a while and offered his hand, to which kazunari accepted and mumbled an embarrassed apology for being so out of character. yuki just lightly punched his arm, a new understanding between them

“i like you for who you are, never change, kazunari.”

(a hour later, you got a notification kazunari posted a new tik tok. it was with mankai’s fashion designer, yuki, this time, who were both wearing cat ears. it must’ve been an old costume as they did a “fit check”. yuki never looked amused in kazunari’s videos, but he seemed closer to him this time around. you wondered why. at least, they were both happy)

(when you agreed to meet up, kazunari exhaled and dropped back into bed. holding the phone above his face, kazunari rapidly typed back an adorable sticker before throwing his phone aside)

(muku picked his head up from a manga, coming over to snuggle into kazunari’s side without another word. kazunari hugged him back, burying his face in muku’s chest with a smile. he loved his friends so much)

(ping! another tik tok, this time kazunari and muku were reenacting a manga scene from some popular series with the audio from the actual anime)

“are you okay?” tenma’s protective leadership qualities kicked in, moving to stand beside his troupe member with a concerned expression. kazunari nodded, but his hands were shaking in his jean pockets and he kept scuffing the heel of his shoes against the pavement

today was the day. you and kazunari were reuniting after an especially messy friendship break up. the last time he ever saw you was when you walked the stage at his high school graduation, now, here he was, craning his head to look for your familiar face

the rest of summer troupe came for moral support, because that’s just who they were. kazunari let yuki explain the predicament when they all found kazunari pacing the main living room earlier, and they were certain the power of friendship would save the day

(maybe, coming in with very exaggerated disguises were a bit too overboard, though. seriously? a group of four wearing tinted sunglasses and all black in the summer caught more attention than necessary)

nevertheless, you and kazunari agreed on a local café nearby. he wondered if you remembered you two frequented this joint all the time in high school, for everything from late night cram sessions to needing a pick me up for working hard on extracurricular activities. he hadn’t gone in a long, long time. everything reminded kazunari of you, causing him to order your usual impulsively without thinking if it—you, changed

sliding into a free table by the window, kazunari held up a small wave to the highly suspicious group at the opposite end of the café as they all finger–gunned back. really... anyone could recognize their unusual bright hair from a mile away

(tenma didn’t even change it, he had the iconic sumeragi orange on full display and attracted hushed whispers immediately)

kazunari perked his head up if the door bell rang but fell dejectedly whenever it wasn’t you. anxiously tapping his foot, kazunari fiddled with his stud earring as he barely drank his over the top coffee. it had too much sugar, maybe that’s why he’s so jumpy

checking his phone, kazunari frowned. you were a bit late... though, you always did that back then. relieved, kazunari thought, maybe you didn’t change that much

missing the bell by the entrance, kazunari was too busy scrolling through his feed before he felt a tap on his shoulder. assuming it was a barista, kazunari lifted his head with a bright smile before it morphed into an expression of shock

it was you

and, you were barely recognizable

it shouldn’t have hurted him as much as it did, but kazunari stood up and opened his arms with a big smile. “hey~! thanks for coming, missed ya!” was his voice too high? too excited? he always worried about those types of things around you, but he just realized that now

(he was so caught up in meeting you again, he missed the mutters of summer. they were looking you up and down, already getting a bad feeling as they devised a plan to get kazunari out whenever it seemed uncomfortable)

“hi, kazunari.” you said, awkwardly going in for a hug before settling across from him. kazunari sat back down and pushed a cup towards you, smiling to the point where his cheeks hurt

“you still like this, right?” kazunari laughed but he felt like there were no air in his lungs. a part of him accepted a long time ago he’d never see you again, so this felt like reopening old wounds he neglected to care for

“ahaha... no, not really. don’t worry, it’s still decent!” you fumbled on your words, taking a sip of the drink only to reveal a slight grimance. kazunari nodded, a flustered blush across his face as he swore within his head. you didn’t like that order anymore? you loved it back in high school...

“haha... cool...” kazunari trailed off and it was uncomfortably silent despite the lively atmostphere of the popular café. it had definitely become busier since both your high school days, that’s for sure. maybe, that was a blessing and curse at the same time

tenma was about to stand up and pull kazunari aside, acting like it was an emergency, before misumi grabbed him with surprising strength. about to retaliate, tenma just fell silent when muku shook his head with a pointed look towards your table

kazunari swirled the metal straw in his order, watching the movement of the foam with unnatural quietness. it bothered him, not being able to talk comfortably as an extrovert, so he started speaking when he noticed you wouldn’t start the conversation

“so... how have you been?”

“good, good. you?”

“great! thanks for asking.”

“yeah...”

silence, again. this was becoming unbearable. kazunari sharply exhaled through his nose before pushing aside his drink, sitting up to cross his arms on the table with a serious look

“talk to me. we haven’t seen each other in years, but we are—were best friends. what’s up?” kazunari stated, hurriedly correcting himself when he caught your wide eyes. you seemed to contemplate it for a moment before agreeing, mimicking his posture with new confidence

“it’s... strange, seeing you again. i feel like i barely know who you are now.” you explained slowly and kazunari nodded, also feeling the same way as he rested his cheek against his palm. this was going to be a hard, but long overdue, conversation

who knows? maybe, it’d heal that dramatic part of your coming of age childhoods that you both needed

“same. so much has changed ever since we, you know.” kazunari replied and it was about to be awkward again before you responded, scratching your head with a distant look

“yeah... i’m sorry, for leaving you.”

“why did you?”

kazunari’s words were automatic, coming from a part of him that always wondered this when things got rough. when it was too quiet at night and he laid awake staring at his bedroom ceiling, he questioned why he wasn’t the best friend you wanted. or, when he drove by your old school, he often thought why weren’t all the good memories enough to make you stay?

whoever said friendship break ups were more painful than romantic ones, was right

(being abandoned by someone who knew him more than kazunari knew himself was... a turning point in his life)

you reeled back from the surprise, spluttering as you tried to form a coherent sentence. kazunari passed you a napkin, to which you took gratefully. it was supposed to be natural, everyone said that, but this conversation took effort to maintain

“you’re right, i owe you an explanation.” you mumbled, the question catching you off guard. kazunari waited, like he always did, before you continued, your voice clear despite the busy ambience. all noise faded into the background as kazunari listened to the words he wished high school him could’ve heard before

“we... we just were in different parts of our life. you are, to this day, the life of the party. the bold, loud, energetic student who’s outgoing, charismatic, and always saying something. i’m... not.”

(when kazunari was about to interrupt, you held up your hand and he sat back, realizing yeah—he did like talking way too much)

“it was hard... being known as ‘kazunari’s best friend’ and nothing more. you’re bigger than life, kazunari, i’m not like that. and, that’s okay, at least for me.”

“i just... i had to be my own person. spread my wings, be independent, you know? you didn’t hold me back, but i needed time to be myself and stand alone.”

you looked relieved, like this was something you held back for years. kazunari was floored, he honestly didn’t expect this. he truly wasn’t aware you felt overshadowed since he took all the attention away from you. a deep sense of shame washed over kazunari when he realized how lonely it must’ve felt

“when you left, i questioned everything. whether the friendship was real or not... or what i did wrong. i wish you told me before, but i, i understand.” kazunari forced out and it wasn’t a lie. he did understand, the fear of being forgotten and mislabeled. your reasoning was completely valid, it was for self growth and confidence (something he still needed to work on)

“i’m sorry for doing that to you. i never intended to, but i know impact matters most. i’m sorry you felt overshadowed, you were always my number one.” kazunari said and you reached over to take his hand, albeit awkwardly. it was comforting as you smiled with tears in your eyes

“i know, you were my first choice, too. i’m glad i was your best friend, i miss you and i love you so much.”

“i miss and love you, too, bff.”

(it was something both of you needed to hear, and the childhood versions of yourselves felt like they could move on. this, this was closure)

when you two catched up on university and everything else, kazunari pulled out his phone (which he hadn’t checked in hours after texting summer to go back to the dorms). holding it up in the air with a mischevious wink, you and kazunari both knew where this was going

“wanna make a tik tok?”

kaz–PIKO: always friends ♡

(it was labeled as a part two to his original post about missing his best friend. you and kazunari pretended to do the ‘electric love kissing’ challenge, before the audio cut to ‘sike!’. kazunari ran over to his phone to end the video, both your laughing faces in the last frame)

(it blew up, again. as expected of popular tik tok king kazunari)

regardless of the comments and likes, kazunari was right—you two would always be friends. it didn’t have to be more than that, this was for the best, and that’s okay

#miyoshi kazunari #kazunari miyoshi #a3! act! addict! actors!#a3!#act! addict! actors!#a3! actor training game #a3! headcanons #act! addict! actors! headcanons #mankai a3!#mankai company #a3! x reader #a3 x reader #kazunari x reader #a3! kazunari #a3 kazunari

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teacherintransition · 4 years ago

Text

The Facebook Dilemma

... not just for the transitioning teacher, but for all of us...

...like most well intentioned possibilities on the internet, it can take a wrong turn.

In 2009, I was 43 and was intrigued by this new “product...service” you could find online called Facebook. There was a lot of buzz about it among friends I knew and my interest was piqued. For a Gen X’er, I had stayed more than just current on computer and internet advancements as I had written a curriculum and taught a course on “How to do Academic Research using the Internet.” A couple of college campuses had approached our school with a dilemma: many high graduates weren’t able to transfer what they knew about hard copy, old school, going through the stacks research to using online resources. I’d taught the class since 2003 and had already been exposed to the burgeoning world of “social media” from my students. Six Degrees, Are You (Hot of Not), Friendster, Xanga, MySpace and several others and all to a 40 something... they seemed too cheesy, too much for the teens and not comfortable for my generation. Then in 2009, I came across this new site called Facebook, silly me... it had loaded its platform and had been online since 2004. It seemed a bit more toned down than the others and I’d discovered that some of my high school classmates were already using it. “What the hell,” let’s give it a shot and I set up my Facebook account ... it seemed harmless.

At first, FB was a blast, I reconnected with friends I hadn’t seen in years, the groups on music and Art were addictive, there were fun games to play... it was an honest online, social media blast and it was user friendly, checking it became part of the daily routine. Like the ancient adage goes, “nothing good can last forever.” Soon, politics, biased news, divisive debate, spying, cheeky algorithms turned what had been a fun pastime into another area for the uniquely American “culture wars.” The same reconnected friendships became casualties on the battlefield, “gotcha” videos were everywhere, Fact-checking was a needed weapon... and it just wasn’t fun. Wishing Happy Birthday or sending sympathy for losses became a cold, mechanical process void of genuine feeling. A friend of ours had said while we were all having dinner that our generation was going to be the experiment subject for this. Generation X was the last one that grew up without wide spread computer usage or without the internet, but had adapted to it much, much better than Boomers. Millennials got exposed to internet and cell phones at the beginning of their teen years and the new guys, “Gen Z” are born with an IP address and a cellular plan. To all too many people I know, social media is more designed to develop angina than friendships.

Social media and a retiring “teacher in transition,” how does it fit during the daily routine of retirement? Well, like most things it’s as varied as the individual in question. My friend who astutely remarked that we were the experiment subjects of this trend had no doubt arrived at a conclusion for those of us who grew up tech free but quickly adopted for work and leisure... I know I have. Using Occam’s Razor in scientific evaluation, I’ve come to the conclusion that life, in general, was better without the pervasive use of technology in our lives. Life lacks a genuine quality and sense of independence during this age of internet everything. I’d rather call a person and wish them happy birthday that use an app; I’d rather spend my time just thinking to myself than have my thinking provided to me via algorithms, I’d rather be more self reliant than have to rely on Siri or Alexa telling when to turn left. C’est la vie... it is what it is, but I am able to put all of this to work for me in specialized ways since I’ve retired. Being able to easily share and post my writing allows me access to an audience that wouldn’t have existed before. These media platforms also grant me a web venue to share and market my Art to a vast online audience which would have been impossible to achieve in previous eras. The internet age also provides a magnificent way to satisfy my travel urges between trips, by being able to virtually visits cities and countries I long to visit and revisit in the interim. We human beings tend to jump into trends whole hog and then after the fact revisit the wise advice of “everything in moderation.” True, true, truer words were ne’er spoken. All this being said, O’ wise teacher in transition, how doth we interact with yon social media upon retirement?

As stated early in this column, this would be the ramblings of a mid fifty retiree finding his way through the challenges of adapting to a new way of living. Some of my “pearls of wisdom” some might find helpful; others, not so much. These observations are mine and not mandatory. I do hope some might find these helpful. Sigh... in regards to Facebook or internet usage in general for the newly retired, I’d suggest limiting it to the smallest degree possible. I envision legions of readers hearing my declaration standing up and crying, “huzzah, huzzah, huzzah” followed by cellphones and iPads being cast in to raging flames followed by the chanting of my name! Ahh, the blessings of a vivid imagination. I suggest this for several reasons, mind you I didn’t suggest total withdrawal, but a moderate to strong decrease in usage. One of the criticisms of Gen Z is their sedentary lifestyle while focusing on texting, gaming, trolling etc etc .... in other words, these young people spend so much time on line they are getting overweight instead of getting out and active IRL ( hipster, techie acronym for In Real Life). If it not a good idea for kids from the ages of 10-25 to sit on their asses all day, it certainly isn’t a good idea for those of us experiencing a mature quality of life (you like that huh? sounds a whole lot better than saying “getting old”). While being online... time can get lost ... and a day waisted and a waistline enlarged. Might I suggest limiting yourself to a few specific times where you check your email, peruse social media, play games ... what have you. I’ve remarked often that a structured day during retirement is a great way to chase your dreams and goals. That doesn’t usually happen sitting on a padded desk chair all day staring at a screen.

I strongly advise that you carefully research the most reliable news organizations based on accuracy and lack of bias and review them periodically during the day. The 24 hour news cycle, breaking reports, obscene bias in news reporting has become a scourge to all areas of society for the last twenty years. It has divided our nation to an unhealthy point amongst all demographics in our country. Inappropriate visuals, doctored photos, deep fake videos and out right deception can really shake up a peaceful mindset. I’m not suggesting abandoning online news at all, but be more discriminating of the sources that don’t sensationalize stories. You’re at a point in life to relax and enjoy peace of mind... make sure you do. Fill your time with what’s in front of you IRL .... not on a screen. Whether we are fifteen to 50 to 80, our time in this world is limited, don’t obsess over things you can’t control; “joie de vie” “la dolce vita” not doom and gloom.

In my mind, try to limit your online time to interests and hobbies that are personally yours. Give your time online a purpose: are you learning the guitar?...then pick some sites that develop that interest. While on Facebook limit your group memberships to interests that enrich you as a person with diverse pursuits. Goof off time is essential to having a peaceful retirement.... but to maintain an active lifestyle, make certain that most of your time has a purpose. No ... not like “working” but determined by the passions of your heart. While there are many ill advised sites on the internet, it was originally intended to enrich us and extend our knowledge. Do it!

“If there is nothing good about Facebook or social media, why do you still use it ...huh?” I’m not implying that it is totally without merit. AsI hoped I tried to state, moderation, the most un American of words is essential to anything we do. I’ll draw this examination to a close by sharing what I think is the most valuable aspect that I derive from Facebook: photographs and the memories option. The daily memories page offered is something I look forward to every morning. It’s is a personal journey through what was on my mind and of interest to me over the years. It takes me back to a moment in time to what I was thinking, feeling and gives me a chance to see how my life has changed over the years. You are afforded the opportunity to see if you’ve grown as a person and what events had enough of an impact for you to post it. It can make joys and sorrows live again momentarily and appreciate the life you have lived. Just remember... living online is not really living. Use these amazing advancements to enhance your life .... not be the direction of it. Just some random thoughts from a teacher in transition.

http://labibliotecacoffee.com/

Facebook Photo; https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/7761-facebook-business-guide.html; 2021

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