Life in the past two years has been hard due to the sudden change in the way we live

our
lives. From waking early in the morning to get ready for school, to facing the commuter’s
problem every day, and to the random and spontaneous after-school affair, The usage of media
pre-pandemic has seen significant changes, mostly to the youth, to us. We used social media to
aconnect and share the events that were happening in our lives. But sometimes we forget the
main reason why social media exists. In Christopher Bryan Concha’s "Pabulong", social media
was used to promote nudity and the dissemination of pornography. It is true in real life situations,
as I have seen colleagues, friends, and even relatives use social media to disseminate such videos
on the internet. Teenagers are also engaging in the said activity on the internet, wherein young
teenage girls who scream Women's Empowerment were the first ones to post videos related to
that. The pandemic has made things worse for the justice system in the country. People in power
who are blatantly disobeying the law are given a pardon for their actions, while ordinary citizens
are facing gruesome punishment because of the negligence of the government to come up with a
solid solution to help the people in the country.

In Kenneth Ian Matthew Hernandez’s "Aso" was a representation of the corrupt justice
system in the Philippines. People who have power, money, and prestige are spared, while people
who do not have anything will face the consequences of the people in power. Realizations in
society will hit you hard when you can see and hear their cries or when you are the next victim of
the country's unfair and unjust system. They try to blame the victims for their actions but never
ask why they did those actions that resulted in the events that have occurred and affected their
lives. Tragic events in our lives sometimes make us change, just like Janine G. Dimaranan’s
"Mga Tula sa Bagong Bayan, Mga Tala Mula sa Bagong Bayan." It is reminiscing the past while
staying afloat in the present.

Compared to the things we had in the past that we sometimes take for granted and
appreciate when they are gone, It can mean anything to the reader, interpreting the real meaning
behind it. It can be an object, a person, or a place that we take for granted. It can also be
compared to the old and the new. To elaborate, it can be when you buy a new phone, you will
compare the old and the new but will always use the new phone in the same manner that you
used the old ones. I guess old habits die hard. In the past few months, social media has been used
as a way to campaign and propagate platforms in the upcoming elections. Trolls are also
everywhere, commenting on posts that do not do anything with their comment bashing and
promoting false information. They would create personas as a way to present themselves. Some
would be the religious aunties who do not believe that Martial did not kill any student activists. It
could be a high school drop-out who hated the Aquino’s or many more. They can influence
people to believe their false information, leading to the dissemination of information reaching a
wider audience. I saw it and tried to stop it, but the country's education system was too focused
on numbers rather than teaching students to be socially literate. The students are not embracing
being students because of how shallow the teachers sometimes are. I believe that if students are
taught correctly, they will not be swayed by the cringeworthy headlines and false information. It
is frustrating that they cannot differ in facts and opinions when arguing online. They cannot even
stay on the topic and argue in a nonsensical manner that is Ad Hominem, Ad Miserecordiam, and
Red Tagging people who are trying to educate them and let them know the truth. I think the root
cause of the ignorance of some students is the way they are answered when they are little.

In Episode 11 of Lit Junction, entitled "Mga Tanong ko Kina Itay at Inay" and "Isa Pa
Uling Tanong sa Parent Ko" by Eros S. Atalia, she tackled how children are curious about their
surroundings and how adults are supposed to guide them in growing. But as adults, the questions
being asked by the children are often laughed at, making the children afraid to ask more
questions because the adults are mocking them. As an adult, I have done that and laughed at
them, but as soon as I realized that I should guide them, I told them that we could find answers
together because, as adults, we do not know everything they ask. In answering their questions,
we, as adults, should be logical and consistent in the facts and opinions we say, because the
children will believe it as they grow old. In Lit Junctions’ Episode 23, titled "Pol Purol" by Chris
Rosales, tackles how Pol can get anxious and nervous whenever he is called to answer in front.
The whole story was used as a metaphor, as adults will always overlook the problems and focus
on finding the solution they find suitable for the problem. It is seen in the whole story as they try
to change Pol in their own ways. But Pol needed someone to talk to and share his problems with
about how they treated them at school. That made him anxious and nervous. Just like in life, we
need someone who will listen to us and tell us we can do it. Always look at the problems first
before looking for solutions. Children are not coloring books for us adults to color in our favorite
colors. We need to guide, care for, and understand them.
 There is a saying in life that when it gives you lemons, make a lemonade out of it. But
what if the lemons are meant to be eaten as it is. Life gets to difficult at times, there are so many
complicated events in our life that shaped us to person we are today. There are curious people
that asked questions but instead of answers they get more questions. As a kid, we like to ask
questions because we are curious but sometimes adults are having a hard time to give answers
because they also do not know the answer resulting to shame to the kids for asking difficult
questions. It might affect the kid as they grow up because they are shamed by the Adults that
supposed to guide them in growing. That event lead to them seeking approval from other person
or people, they sometimes lurked internet in order to get the approval they long wanted. But
good things are not always good things.

In this times, Money is everything. People who say that money cannot but happiness are
hypocrites. How can you go to the place that will make you happy if you do not have money for
transportation. In the means, we are willing to be slaves in order to possess money that we
sometimes sacrifices too much of our selves. Money consumes us and we are not even mad at I
because we are living in a capitalistic society. You will die if you do not have money and willing
to do anything for the sake of money.

The justice system in the country was a clown show. We definitely witness it from the
Government officials itself, even the president of the country was known for being a tax evader
but they still roam, free from their wrongdoings. The system was so messed up that we
sometimes blame the victims why they are victims in the first place and side with the abuser.
Life can be seen in the literary pieces we have, it mirrors the reality we are facing in and we
cannot escape it because we never learn from it.
PODCAST:

Lit Junction

Episode 11: Mga Tanong Ko Kina Itay at Inay at Isa pa Huling Tanong sa Parents ko ni Eros S.
Atalia

Episode 23: Pol Purol by Chris Rosales

TULA:

Tula: Mga Tula Mula sa Bagong Bayan Mga Tala Mula sa Bagong Bayan ni Janine G.
Dimaranan

MAIKLING KWENTO:

Troll by Nicko Manipi de Guzman

DAGLI:

Mga Dagli sa agos Journal ng UP Sentro ng Wikang Filipino

Pabulong by Christopher Concha

Aso by Kenneth Ian Matthew Hernandez