23/03/2025
I have recently concluded that virtual space, especially the Kenyan virtual space, is a grand theatre of the absurd
Thereās a book from my undergrad days whose title escapes me. Our lecturer used it to illustrate the theatre of the absurd. A couple, husband and wife, had s*x in the middle of a town square, drawing a crowd. Not all the spectators approved, of course, but they watched nonetheless. Afterward, the couple was consumed by overwhelming misery. Post-nut clarity? I donāt remember how the story started or ended, just that part.
I am saying this because of the content I see, especially on TikTok. There's a girl who has been upfront about her bipolar disorder diagnosis. Oftentimes, she gets manic episodes, which are resolved by medication and sometimes hospitalization. I donāt think she had been consistent with her medication, though, as the episodes had been persistent recently. During this period, she goes live and unleashes verbal scathing lashes on everyone including friends, family, colleagues, partners, and exes. Her audience loves this. They call her authentic and brave. Some even feed her the names of their own enemies so she can publicly shame them.
But then, the mania subsided as reality set in. She is now battling depression, haunted by the ghosts of her posts in mania. She has attempted unaliving herself twice and been in the ICU twice, as per the reports on her page.
I think first-aid training needs to evolve and be mandatory even for acquiring IDās. It should include awareness of mental health crises in addition to helping people recognise symptoms and refer someone for support rather than cheering them toward self-destruction. There are a lot of undiagnosed mental cases roaming in our midst, living under our roofs and sitting at the same tables as we do. We donāt perceive them as we should so we let them self-destruct or even destroy those around them.
Also, isnāt it unsettling how, when you observe someone in a manic state, you can see the fr