Love Isn’t in the Air, It’s in Our Pockets

It’s the 14 of February and you’re mindlessly doom-scrolling down your for you page continuously being shown joyous couples being in love and gifting each other costly generous and wheedling gifts, while you're alone at home with an unopened box of chocolates next to you. You normally feel insecure and pretty useless, probably debating whether you are lovable or a hideous monster. What if I were to tell you that all those posts are simply chicanery? Those wonderful couples probably posted that idyllic video and went on to fight about a limpid matter. Let’s not forget that all those stupendous gifts are thrown away, ending up in a plethora of landfills. Let’s face it, Valentine’s Day is a big scam.

First, we must discuss its origins. A celebration that originally extolled the beauty of love and the sacrifices made to be united with your pair has turned into a day advertised by the immense corporations which sell Valentine's Day merchandise. Commercials promote the idea of overspending on numerous objects such as cuddly teddy bears, heart-shaped chocolates, or comely flowers to gratify your significant other. As a result, people misspend their hard-worked money on junk. I am not trying to suggest that money spent on your loved ones is an idiocy. I undoubtedly believe that gifts are a benevolent way to show appreciation. However, where does the “consumerism” end and the “love written about in fairy tales” start? Everyone can splurge on gifts, but it doesn’t mean that you truly care about your person, it shows that you have the monetary value to buy their love. True love cannot be found in aisle one or two, it can only be found in your heart. Love is like a maze, and you cannot purchase things to reach the heart of the maze faster, you must get lost to further understand what it means to love purely, and not shallowly. In my book, it would be way better to produce something on your own or even to write a letter to your significant other, as it shows that you have a place for them in your heart, instead of buying a box of chocolate and hoping that it does the job.

Secondly, we must face a problem that affects everyone, whether you are single, in a relationship, or married: pollution. A study published by businesswaste.co.uk highlighted how much pollution is prevalent after Valentine’s Day passes. I bet you weren’t aware that an extra nine million kilograms of CO2 are produced on this day due to the waste it creates. Only in the UK are 25 million Valentine’s Day cards sent annually, which inevitably end up in landfill sites. To add salt to the injury, these objects are often manufactured in developing countries where their production is exploited under a wage lower than the required minimum. Though the gifts innocently sit on the shelves and steal the customer's attention, they carry a gruesome burden endowed with pain, destruction, and what is wrong with society. Do we really value a teddy bear more than a zealous worker’s life in a third-world country, whose income solely depends on her ability to produce the object that you carelessly throw away after a few short days? In addition, their salary is so minute that many can't even afford basic amenities, while you have the money to splurge on futile things. My objective is not to make you feel bad about your economic choices, however, I would like you to see the bigger picture and not just your secluded bubble. If my previous argument didn’t frighten you enough, perhaps you didn’t know that balloons take 450 years to degrade and that since glitter is microplastic, it will remain in the environment for hundreds of years to come. These things, which we throw away on a whim, ultimately have a bigger lifespan than us, the superior creatures, and yet we still believe that we are the leaders. My advice is to make use of our built-in imagination when creating the most eloquent gift for your loved one. Ultimately, if you have the resources, do not be part of a selfless gift of materialism.

We have one last dilemma to address: a phenomenon titled “The Valentine’s Day Blues”. I know, it has quite a humorous name. Nonetheless, no matter how minute it may sound, this phenomenon affects people globally on Valentine’s Day. Even if you are in a wheedling relationship, or are in contempt about being single, this holiday endowed with love depresses people. In fact, some research suggests that Valentine’s Day is the start of an annual rise in suicide rates that peaks in April. Not everyone is naturally tremendously affected, but we all see how it affects us, subconsciously or not. Who feels joyous when they keep scrolling and all they see are couples, that seem to maintain a stable relationship? One can accuse the other that it’s their fault that these serene couples keep abusively pooping up on algorithms, nonetheless, the algorithm works against us, always showing what harms us or gets the most engagement. If you find yourself suffering a case of these Valentine’s Day Blues, there are several ways to combat your mental state. An article published by banyantreatmentcenter, lists a few fantastic tips that help sufferers alike feel a bit better, for example, to avoid social media altogether, be your own Valentine, or simply appreciate the others who shower you with platonic love. The list is much more detailed, thus I recommend reading it yourself. Your only objective is not to find a “Valentine”, even if it may seem so. Remember that you don’t know what life will throw your way and don’t pressure yourself to jump into a relationship, it might just make you feel worse.

Throughout this article, I have only campaigned against Valentine’s Day. I have only listed noxious side effects and not mentioned positive ones, and rightfully, I am not the best person to ask on this matter, after all, I am on the side of Instagram that speaks out against it. Valentine’s Day is a day imbued with love, and all love is celebrated. A big mistake is that people believe that only couples can celebrate Valentine’s Day when that is plainly false. If you have a friend that you appreciate, tell them that you love them and go out and have fun! If you love your parents, call them or message them. If you have a crush, ask them out! I mean, what is the worst that could happen? At its core, Valentine’s Day is a reminder that love is in the air -so why not make the most of it?

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Tomi Anastasia 10A