Why Must We Be Here?

An Anatomy of Compulsory Presence on Social Media and Its Metamorphosis

1. The Stage Has Shifted No one told us we had to be here. But one day we woke up and realized that “not being here” is, in itself,costly absence. There was no directive, no announcement. We simply realized one morning that the microphones are focused here. Outside of this space, no one hears your voice; not because your voice is weak, but because the stage has shifted.

This text is about a compulsion we did not choose, yet we pay the price for. It is a philosophical critique of the “compulsion of presence” and an attempt to reclaim the only stronghold still in our hands: the quality of presence.

2. From “Connection” to “Simulation” Once, these tools were built for “connection.” For a family photo, for finding an old friend; a simple promise and a human-centric bridge. But the path changed.

• First, they turned into content distribution tools.
• Then, they mutated into the attention economy.
• And now: A massive behavior simulation machine.

We are no longer dealing with a communication channel; we are facing a prediction engine that models behavior, identifies inclinations, and sells the future at the lowest price. Facebook’s founder spoke of “connecting the world,” but he did not know that connection would gradually mean “becoming monitorable.” Twitter’s founder wanted a podium to “democratize voice,” but he did not understand that voices would eventually compete in a market of “speed” and “volume.” This trajectory was the internal logic of capital and technology imposing itself. No one planned it, yet it happened.

The disappearance of city phone books was not our choice, but due to the rise of search engines. Local taxis didn’t die by choice; they were replaced by a centralized algorithm. No one chose to abandon the neighborhood supermarket, but the hypermarket arrived and wiped it off the map. Social networks are the same: A change in nature, not a free choice.

3. The Logic of Compulsion: Why Can’t We Leave? This compulsion attacks us from three flanks:

1. Economic Compulsion: It is a blunt statement: This is the marketplace. “Personal branding” is no longer a hobby; it is a job. If you are an artist, you must be seen to be valid. Not being in this market means remaining unemployed. There is no choice involved, only the payment of a fee.
2. Social Compulsion: Rooted in fear; the Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO). When public discourse takes shape here, not being here means removal from society and becoming an uninformed stranger. This fear is our secret police.
3. Algorithmic Compulsion: The most hidden and powerful flank. The algorithm gives no rank to the inactive. In the database of attention, if you are not present, you “do not exist.” In the age of attention, having no rank carries the penalty of fading away.

We have internalized this logic. We police ourselves, and with a bitter smile, we tell ourselves: “I must be here.”

4. The Trap of “Just Produce” The popular narrative is simple: “Just start. Just produce.” This is a sweet lie. Mindless presence only benefits the platform. Every post and every interaction is fuel for the algorithm. The algorithm gets stronger, and you? You are a user-laborer. Without a salary, without a contract, armed only with a virtual smile.

Presence without strategy is merely “noise.” Meaningless sound gets lost in the cacophony. The difference between someone writing to be seen and someone writing to build their own world becomes apparent right here:

• The former needs.
• The latter creates.

5. The Art of Presence: Building a Signature in the Age of Copies The ultimate difference lies in intention: the intention to be seen versus the intention to build. One who writes to be seen is trapped by an abstract audience. He is a product that must be sold. But one who writes to build his own world knows his specific audience and is free; because he is no one’s product. He is a producer of meaning.

The algorithm rewards “speed,” but humans understand “depth.” A deep post is worth a thousand shallow ones; not for the algorithm, but for your own survival and for building your signature. Transforming compulsion into agency requires courage:

• The courage to be slow.
• The courage to be less.
• The courage to build in silence and present at the right time.

6. Conclusion: The Survival of the Soul Why must we be here? Because the economy of attention requires a perpetual producer. This compulsion is real. We cannot remove the compulsion, but we can carve out a space for “agency” within it. This is our art: To be different in a system that wants everyone to be the same.

In the age of reproduction, the “Signature” is the only real asset. Algorithms can copy content, but they cannot forge a signature. The signature is that very quality of presence. Not being here is a costly absence; but meaningless presence carries a heavier cost: losing yourself. You must be here. But not just anyhow. You must be here with your signature, with your meaning, and with your world. This is the only way; not for victory over the algorithm, but for the survival of the soul.