Man Was Pretending to be Happy On His Phone
By Joe Fotalattee
In today’s world, it’s not uncommon to see people glued to their phones even in public places. But have you ever noticed someone pretending to be happy and laughing at a conversation that doesn’t even exist?
Meet Minh. Minh is a prime example of someone who has mastered the art of pretending to be happy on his phone. He sits at the coffee shop, scrolling mindlessly through his social media feed, but he doesn’t want the other person sitting next to him to know how lonely he is. So he puts on a fake smile and starts laughing as if he’s having the time of his life.
The other person, let’s call her Linh, is also on her phone. She’s scrolling through her emails, but she can’t help but notice Minh’s fake laughter. She wonders what could be so funny that Minh is laughing out loud.
Minh sees Linh looking at him and immediately feels embarrassed. He quickly puts his phone aside and starts pretending to read a book. Linh goes back to her emails, but she can’t help but feel sorry for herself, thinking, “What a sorry sack we both are”.
In reality, both Minh and Linh are just trying to escape the loneliness that comes with being alone in a public place. They both feel disconnected from the world around them and the people in it. They don’t want to seem like losers, so they put on a facade of happiness.
But what if they could just be real? What if they could put down their phones and strike up a conversation with each other? They might find that they have a lot in common, and that they share similar interests and experiences. They might even make a new friend.
So the next time you find yourself in a public place, don’t be like Minh and Linh. Put down your phone, look up, and see the world around you. Strike up a conversation with someone new. You might be pleasantly surprised at what you find, or you might hate them because they are losers and you see that pathetic potential in yourself.
On second thought, maybe it is better to mindlessly scroll through your feeds because human interaction will only lead to hurt and disappointment, just like your first girlfriend cheating on you, or the fact you can’t stay awake long enough to please yourself let alone a partner. Memes and culture war news stories won’t hurt you the way your gal blew your best friend in the basement at that party. So let’s agree to at least stop faking a smile when you are looking at your phone that won’t hurt you.