Modern Day Observer

 There have been a number of texts throughout the semester that emphasize the role of the observer - simply one who actively watches the life of another, rather than choosing to focus on themselves. With this being said, while a number of texts have presented the theme of the observer, I believe the most influential to the argument is Edna St. Vincent Millay's "Macdougal Street". For example, the text brings the audience into the mind of the speaker, as he or she explicitly describes all those whom they pass. For instance, the speaker describes his or her view in stating, "The women squatting on the stoops were slovenly and fat" [...] "He walked like a king through the filth and the clutter" (Millay, Lines 5, 13). While, yes, it is worth noting the contrasting ways in which the men and women are described, what I believe to be most influential to the argument is the depth that the observer goes into. With this being said, these descriptions greatly highlight the way in which the observer believes his or her momentary glimpse into another's life, is enough to understand that individual's entire being. 

In saying this, I found the mentality of the "Macdougal Street" speaker to be very similar to that of the trope of the modern day observer. With this being said, in the age of social media, we are continually able to get glimpses into the lives of others who we may only have a surface level relationship with in person. These brief glimpses that a vast majority of social media platforms offer can be understood as one's 'highlight reel' - simply, their best moments, making their life appear seemingly perfect, when this is seldom the case.

These 'highlight reels' often cause individuals to compare themselves to the lives of another that they see presented to them on the screen. Forcing themselves to compete with an individual who does not even wholly exist. A modern day example of this societal trope is Madison Beer's "Dear Society". Throughout the song, Beer describes that she is wholly aware that social media and its effects are not beneficial, but she cannot help her addiction. She, like many of us today, are subconsciously drawn to the detrimental effects of social media - leaving this trope of the modern day observer ever-present in our society today.