Aesthetically Depressing - By Musmirah Saba

Written By: Musmirah Saba

Category: Informal essay/article

Competition: Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

Musmirah Saba, writing under the evocative name "Aesthetically Depressing," presents a thought-provoking essay titled "Aesthetically Depressing" for the Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. Through her insightful reflections, she invites readers to contemplate the modern era's societal perceptions and the aesthetic facades that we often uphold. Her work highlights a theme that resonates with audiences across generations, questioning the balance between materialistic pursuits and genuine existence.

About the Work

In "Aesthetically Depressing," Musmirah Saba delves into the superficiality that permeates modern life. Her essay challenges readers to reflect on the curated and often exaggerated ways we present ourselves in the digital age. With a critical yet introspective tone, Saba explores how this phenomenon affects our conscious health and societal values, urging a return to authenticity and purposeful living. Her writing captures the essence of a world where appearances often overshadow reality.

Aesthetically Depressing

Original Submission by Musmirah Saba

Aesthetically Depressing

‘Finger clap’, ‘Slay’, ‘Main character energy’, ‘Aura’, are not just words but rather terms and conditions for existing in this era, where you don’t survive in this world but rather the world survives you. Before I go any further, a disclaimer to the readers: this is not an attack on the Genz and its follow-up generations, but a set of reflections questioning the sensibility of people from all generations breathing in this era, including myself. A set of reflections that is not based on mental health, which, to be honest, has received immense popularity like Instagram, however what requires more reflective light is the perception of life that is constantly filtered and edited effortlessly than the features of Canva. While we mock the appalling fakeness of the visuals of AI, our display of life is phonier than a scam call. The beauty of existence has been crumbled down to a beautiful orchestrated set-up for a virtual world, simply for the need of achieving materialistic pleasure where every Tom, Dick and Harry idolises and pursues it to achieve the kind of happiness the person on screen appears to be, hence the world is not just mentally unstable but aesthetically depressing. How would I define that? Well, with hyper awareness, immense information, and Pinteresty wisdom we have developed software within ourselves that make us the next the prodigy brat elitist. The mental health is at much better rate in compared to our conscious health which is so aesthetically depressing that even wise religious words teaching against arrogance and extravagance need to have a embellished background for the message to reach the audience. Simplicity has to be lavishly exhibited for it to be recognised and comprehended. Call it superficiality, façade or vanity, yet we are all guilty of being shallow enough to check ourselves to be the most presentable in a group photo. Nonetheless, the disease of conceit has not just affected the current generation, but people of every era sustaining this generation where the size of the visual has decreased whereas the ego of the environment has expanded. In fact, is only a matter of time that awareness about frivolity will be spoken about by psychologists as an equivalent mental health issue in the lines of anxiety and ADHD. Although povs are made on the toxic traits of narcissism that is merely making an impact on society while the elements of humility and inherent humanity have diminished to the level of being skit the gram and not the basis of conscious existence. So to revive our true nature we must fall back to living our life as an example for your respective self where you are striving to become better in the eyes of the One whom you will be held accountable. Purposeful, natural lifestyle of the past mustn’t remain buried in past instead normalised as practices of life without the need for dramatic awareness. Information and knowledge need to make us content humans and not content creators. And despite all this, if we do withdraw back to the materialistic ways, then it’s high time you reboot yourself by taking a complete asylum in the refuge of the One who created you in the best forms, because when you place your head in the ground for the One and Only, no electromagnetic waves can deter you towards that unimportant notification of that 1 like you received.

About the Competition

The Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 by Hashtag Kalakar is a celebration of literary talent, offering a platform for writers to showcase their creativity and insights. The competition welcomes diverse voices and perspectives, encouraging participants to explore themes that resonate on a personal and universal level. It serves as a testament to the power of words and storytelling in connecting us to ourselves and each other.

We extend our gratitude to Musmirah Saba for her poignant essay, "Aesthetically Depressing," submitted to the Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. Her reflections provide a valuable lens through which we can examine our own perceptions and the societal constructs we navigate daily. Thank you, Musmirah, for your contribution and for sparking meaningful conversations through your insightful writing.

About Hashtag Kalakar

Hashtag Kalakar is a creative platform dedicated to providing artists, writers, singers and other creative talents with opportunities to showcase their work and reach wider audiences through competitions, features and creative initiatives.