Going viral

As I hit ‘post,’ a piece of me sails off into the vast ocean of the internet. The immediate aftermath is a rush - the dopamine kicks in. Likes, comments, shares begin to trickle, quickly turning into a blazing stream. It’s exhilarating. Every notification a pat on the back, an affirmation. The world seems to embrace me, my thoughts, my expression. It’s joyful, validating.

But then, misunderstandings breed. Comments turn from complimentary to critical, from disagreeable to downright hateful. I scramble to clarify, to explain - no, that’s not what I meant, that’s not what I said. But the internet is unforgiving, relentless. My intentions, my context, shrink under the growing shadow of the mob’s interpretation.

The situation escalates. Threats come, not just against my persona but against my very being. The digital mob, faceless but omnipresent, feels like it’s at my doorstep. I am hunted, vilified, for words twisted beyond my recognition. And as quickly as it formed, the mob fades, and both our voices, mine and theirs, are lost in the silence.