The article below was assigned to our summer intern, Tareq Christian Maalouf, and was written with a close supervision of our team. Christian, who studies in the Heritage Private School of Limassol, and came to Revita for a two-week internship, has written a very interesting article on the impact of social media on young people’s lives, with real skill and romanticism. In the article, Christian is going against the current and raises his voice to the power of populism, and what the masses do today. An insightful article, by a young man, who is questioning things, rather than just accepting them, and a riveting read, for our friends and clients.
Introduction
The rise of social media, influencer culture, and algorithm-driven success has pushed people away from passion, art, and craftsmanship, replacing depth and true meaning with lifeless performance, ultimately reinventing and reweaving the job market.
CAREERS BUILT ON ILLUSIONS
Teenagers don’t dream of becoming astronauts or architects anymore. They dream of going viral. And suddenly, the crypto guru with a rented Lamborghini and TikTok tips and tricks on how to get rich rapidly has more credibility than an economist! Influencers selling useless products and fake wealth are applauded more than artists that spent years mastering their craft. Fortunately, social media has also become a platform for educators, health advocates, and creative minds who genuinely offer value. And in the long run, the loudest voices don’t always last. Purpose driven creators often outlast the trend chasers because they build trust, not just temporary hype.
THE COLLAPSE OF CRAFT
Real craftsmen, painters, woodworkers, mechanics, and tailors – once the cornerstone of our economic and cultural identity – are becoming an endangered species. Why? Because their work is real, slow, and authentic. And that doesn’t go viral, nor does it sell. Social media doesn’t reward meaningful and heartfelt work. It rewards superficial, surface-level brilliance because attention spans have been honed to 7-15 seconds due to the constant scrolling and hammering. And that is the coup de grâce for any profession specialising in patience, passion, and precision. Yet there are signs of revival. Platforms like Etsy, Patreon, and even Instagram have helped revive interest in traditional crafts and handmade goods. Slow creation may not instantly dominate the market, or the algorithm, but it does build loyal communities. The problem isn’t the irrelevance, or lack of interest. It’s the visibility. Over time, there’s a growing fatigue with mass-produced culture. Authentic craftsmanship, rooted in skill and patience, will start to win back attention.
THE QUICK BUCK DISEASE
What’s the point of building something meaningful when you can just flip NFTs for some quick change, do a brand deal for a water bottle, or start a dropshipping ‘empire’ with AI-generated stores and ads? It’s an entire generation of people, and more, being seduced by the idea that value lies in velocity and performance, not virtue and integrity. However, some say the internet has opened a gate for anyone to become a self-made success. And that’s not entirely wrong. Opportunity is more accessible. The real danger lies in staying stuck in the mindset of shortcuts. The best ideas, the ones that change lives and shape industries – take hard work, commitment, and time to master them. And those who endure the slow, uncertain grind tend to emerge with real innovation.
UNSEEN MENTAL AND ECONOMIC PARALYSIS
The internet and social media are flooded with unrealistic standards. People with perfect bodies, perfect lives, achieving unprecedented wealth and dream lives by 23 years old. These standards do nothing but make the viewer feel inadequate, feel like a failure before they’ve even begun, often before the age of 16. This distracts the young, thriving minds of our generation, putting them in a state where they feel unable and too distracted to do anything about it. This loop of constant hammering causes nothing but insecurity and feelings of depression, jealousy, and inadequacy. And when they are busy comparing, the creative mind comes to a halt. This isn’t just about mental health. It’s an innovation drought. Fortunately, at the same time, digital self-awareness is on the rise. People are actively questioning the toll of online life. Moments like digital detoxing, or simply taking a break from the phone, mindfulness, ‘deep work’ are gaining momentum. This suggests a counter current. A hunger for more real-world presence, and more genuine connection. Progress is not impossible. It is just simply buried beneath comparison. We just need to switch from watching, to making. From spectators to participants.
THE INNOVATION BLACKOUT
Here’s the scary question. Could the need for digital validation be the very thing holding back creativity, choking innovation, and dragging down the economy? While everyone’s mind is on chasing clout and getting TikTok famous, who’s left to invent the next breakthrough? Solve climate change? Cure a disease? Write the novel that changes a generation? We’re raising a generation that knows how to capture attention but not how to have heart with their work and how to cultivate their own genius. However, hope remains. Across the globe, startups, universities, and institutions are launching initiatives to support young innovators. The tools are there. What’s missing is a cultural shift that praises perseverance as much as virality. Imagine a world where a cure to a disease gets as much applause as the current trend on social media. That world is possible – but we need to build it deliberately.
RECLAIMING THE HUMAN TOUCH
What if success wasn’t about virality? What if greatness wasn’t measured in the number of clicks a video receives? What if it was about creating things that matter, that make an impact, even if nobody sees them? What if innovation came from struggle, occasional human error, precision, and heart? Rather than a near-perfect AI creating soulless gold mines. Because maybe the next Einstein isn’t trending on Instagram. Maybe they’re out there quietly building something great – but no one is watching.
CONCLUSION
In a world of endless noise, the quiet will always shape the future. Trends fade, tweets vanish, but honest, and heartful work will always keep echoing for decades. So maybe we don’t need more people chasing likes. We need more people genuinely loving what they do, and daring to keep doing it, even when nobody’s watching.
“THE REVITA TEAM”
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