Boishaaier 2022

kr e at i ewe s kry f s t ukk e

c r e at i v e wr i t i ng

that the crowd – and by proxy himself – were standing in front of a podium listening to someone with fierce intent. The Man, Alvin assumed by voice, as he was too short to see above the raised hands, spoke with the expression and tone of one who has found the truth of life itself. Were it not that Alvin was too busy attempting to dislodge the morning’s breakfast fork between his teeth, he would have heard the phrases the man spoke. Phrases like “our country”, “taken away “and “destroying values”. As it was, Alvin only heard emotions. Alvin began to process the way in which the man spoke, the tone he used. Righteous anger. Fury. Hate. As the man’s emotions entered Alvin’s ears they became his own. He felt a spark inside him. Suddenly the crowd began to chant and Alvin began to join in. The words they hollered were meaningless, but the passion behind them was real. The mob … for it was a crowd no longer … marched out of the plaza they

were in and into the streets. Liberated by numbers and the passion that fed each other, their confidence grew as their cries rose in obscenity. The mob was a fearful thing to behold, roaring and pulsing with fists raised in the air as it rolled like a great wave in the street. Cars halted before it and people crept into buildings as it passed. Soon destruction was in its wake. Signs were left dented, trash cans were tipped over, spilling their contents into the street. One part of the mob accidently pushed another and an internal scuffle ensued, resulting in a shorter man being left behind as it rumbled on. Alvin stood up slowly as he watched the great and terrible creature pass by. He stared until it turned a corner and was gone. Then, ashamed, Alvin shook his head and made his way home. He did not deserve a treat today. Juandré Koekemoer (11A)

Mob me n ta l i t y Alvin stood in the middle of a cacophonous crowd. “Cacophonous” seemed to be the right word, he thought. It was difficult at the best of times to tell whether the packed group of people were cheering from joy or indignation. Whatever the emotion was, he pondered there seemed to be a lot of it. Alvin wasn’t quite sure how he had gotten himself into this situation. His morning had started like any other, the daily routine of breakfast and hygiene, before he walked to the door to begin his day. Today was Saturday and Alvin had decided he would treat himself by walking to the nearby shop and buying something sweet. Before he could so much as cross the street, however, he found himself swept up in a pack of whooping, hollering and marching folk with identical riled up expressions on their faces. The next thing Alvin knew was

S o c i a l me d i a i s t h e r e a l c au s e o f d e p r e s s i on It all starts with the mind. It is mapped out to always try to find a group to fit in, for it was the only way to survive the wild … as a group. Modern social media turned this human instinct into an easy way to get depression, by making it impossible to completely fit in online.

The first and most common reason that excludes people is that social media is run by people. Humans in general always want to be seen as the best, and what easier way is there than only showing the good times of your life on social media? It may seem harmless, but it is not, for it sets an impossible margin for perfection for others to try to fit into. This feeling of imperfection will lure them into depression. Another way people can contract depression on social media is by making themselves feel insecure. This is an unforeseen product of modern inventions like Photoshop and CGI. These programs are dedicated to creating illusions and hiding flaws. All actors and models use these applications. The same model that people look up to and try to imitate. By doing so, they highlight their own flaws and imperfections, making themselves feel insecure about themselves. This brings them one step closer to depression. In conclusion, with the stated flaw of social media and how it clashes with the mind, creating a root for depression, social media should be labelled as a danger, a source of modern depressions. It creates unrealistic standards. Juan Smal (11D)

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