The train murder scene when humanity left the chat
Let’s start with something horrifyingly real.
A young girl in the U.S. was assaulted and murdered on a train and people were wondering but no one took actions. Dozens of them were there and some even recorded it. No one screamed, no one called 911. Later, some said they were “too shocked to react.”
It’s true but they weren’t too shock to film. That train wasn’t just a tragedy. It was a mirror. It showed us how empathy has become a spectator sport.
“We don’t intervene anymore. We document.
Welcome to the Age of Hashtag Humanity where kindness is the new aesthetic. Empathy is now a marketing strategy. We’ve turned humanity into content and compassion into captions. Everyone talks about being “real,” but it’s mostly for reels.
“You don’t have to be kind, just look kind in HD.” Real bitter truth is hashtags, reposts , and cute pastel quotes about “self-love” make people feel good but they don’t make anyone better.
We’ve created a world where kindness is currency, not character.
Hashtag activism, reposted infographics, and cute pastel quotes about “self-love” make people feel good – but they don’t make anyone better.
We’ve created a world where kindness is currency, not character.
Friendship used to mean showing up when needed but now it means showing actively commenting, liking posts, stories and etc. “I’m here for you” means “I’ll like your sad post.” Emotional support has turned into a digital performance.
Social Media has become the new charity gala
Kindness has gone corporate and charity has gone cinematic at the same time. Today’s youth love doing good but mostly when someone’s filming. They’ll hand out food to the homeless with a tripod and post it with a caption like,
“Felt so humbled giving back today’’ Anyhow the needy ones’ hunger will fade away but the giver’s intention was the recognition. If their target is to support others to fulfill their meal its absolute correct and hats off for them. But the reality is they need a victim for their daily contents. Today’s youth love doing good but mostly when someone’s filming.
It’s not about humanity anymore it’s about visibility.
Behind the curated smiles exhaustion, envy, and emotional rot. People glow online but sulk at others’ happiness internally. “They preach kindness, but only if it’s photogenic.” They’re real-life witches and wizards, casting spells of fake goodness for likes and followers. Youth today are full of toxic pride disguised as purpose. They chase self-esteem through charity but internally, many are bitter, jealous, and unsatisfied.
They don’t smile from the heart, they smile for the algorithm.
Why Is This Happening?
We’ve mismatched affection with attention and we don’t crave for human rooted connections anymore but for social recognitions
Caring too much is cringe. Todays vulnerability is mocked while detachment is cool.
People think, “The less you care, the cooler you look.”
We crave aesthetics, not authenticity. It’s easier to post about kindness than practice or actually helping.
“We’ve mastered the look of empathy, but there is lack of sympathy.
We fear the real connections
Because it requires effort, patience, and accountability for a genuine connections people try to eradicate.
We’ve normalized pain.
We scroll through suffering like it’s entertainment and we call it awareness.
Human, Not Just “Human Like”
This isn’t to say everyone’s fake. There are good soulful people whose kindness doesn’t need an audience.
They don’t post their compassion, they practice it.
They don’t chase likes, they chase peace.
They don’t expect applause, they expect humanity.
“They don’t need a spotlight – their actions already glow.”
They may be only 10% of the population, but they’re carrying the emotional weight of the other 90%. They’re proof that goodness still exists, even if it’s quiet. Here comes the reality,
Some of the kindest people don’t look kind. They’re blunt, straightforward, even grumpy but when real help is needed, they act. No hashtags. No filters. No audience.
“They act practically in real life not for social recognition.”
I have a huge respect to those people. Because they remind us that being human isn’t about looking perfect. It’s about showing up when no one’s watching. We should remember “Being human isn’t a trend. It’s a responsibility.”
Written By: –
Rtr. Kihansa Wickramasinghe
(Junior Blog Team Member 2025-26)
Design By: –
Rtr. Kawindra Wickramasinghe
(Junior Blog Team Member 2025-26)
