THE NEED TO BE SEEN

This isn’t about craving attention. It’s about craving existence.

We are a generation that posts, shares, exposes. Not to be watched, but to be recognized.

There is a crucial difference between attention and recognition, and the digital world has made it impossible to ignore.

Attention is noise.Recognition is being seen for who you are, not just what you show.

Every digital gesture, a story, a post, a photo, a sentence dropped online — carries the same unspoken question: Do you really see me?

We are not asking for applause.We are asking for confirmation.

Confirmation that what we feel matters.That what we do isn’t invisible.That our presence leaves a real trace, even through a screen.

The paradox of visibility

We are the most visible generation in history. And one of the most invisible.

Everyone sees us. Few know us.We are scrolled past, not truly met.

Feeds are full of bodies, faces, words. But empty of real gazes.

Visibility without recognition becomes exposure.And exposure, over time, exhausts. Empties. Erodes.

A like is not a trophy. It’s a small response to the fear of not mattering.

A comment is a raised hand saying: I’m here. A missed view is a quiet absence that weighs more than we admit. This isn’t digital addiction. It’s the need to feel real in a world that rarely gives us solid ground.

Being recognized doesn’t mean being loved by everyone. It means being seen for who you are, even when it’s uncomfortable, fragile, inconsistent.

The problem isn’t showing too much. It’s showing up without ever being truly met.

We just want to stop feeling transparent.

Being truly seen is rare. That’s why we keep looking for it everywhere.

Online too. Especially online.

— CZMOS EDITORIAL