On hearing these words from Portia while obsessively bingeing a TV show on my laptop and simultaneously scrolling through social media on my phone; I was suddenly made hyper-aware of the over-stimulation that was now an accepted norm. At the same time I also closely resonated with the statement and questioned our shared inability to separate ourselves from the internet and its ever evolving discourse.

In spite of the fact that almost every individual who actively partakes in the charade of social media is experiencing a similar dilemma, the situation is quite different for a generation that grew up in the lap of internet frenzy. Personally, I was first allowed proper access to the world wide web at the age of 11, when a PC was finally installed in our house. This was an interesting part of growing up as the access was restrained with child safety locks and strict time frames. In hindsight it was the most productive use of the resource till date.

At this point, the internet greatly benefited my quest for knowledge in the realms of fashion. As I could dive deep into the history of clothing through visually stimulating videos available on Youtube and a particular series hosted by writer, Alexa Chung introduced me to the exciting world of fashion journalism. I still vaguely remember the elaborate word documents on the different periods of costume design carefully curated through my research on google and printed out as visions for the future to embellish my childhood study table.

I can also look back at this period as my first oversight of trusting random sources on the internet. Treating the web as my personal library meant indulging with a myriad of unchecked opinions on a daily basis. Leaving very little room for facts, a problem that still stands to consume our shared beliefs in the age of over-saturated information. As I stepped into my teens and struggled with angst encountered by almost every young person in this age group that came before me; the available exposure to the internet led me into a rabbit hole of unsolicited mental health advice from proclaimed professionals or rather content creators.

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