Let’s get lit: how you too can become a human glow-worm
A recent trend has taken over Italian social media and has made its way to us in the UK - people are turning themselves into human glow-worms in a bid for happiness - but all is not as it seems - we’re here to debunk the myth.
What’s happening?
Young people are in their homes stacking devices up on top of the other, all facing towards them, all shining their lights on them. The idea is to absorb the light from as many devices as possible in order to achieve an inner glow and reach true happiness. Some individuals claim to have upwards of 300 devices shining on them each time.
These individuals are sharing online time-lapse videos of themselves absorbing in the light from their electronics - until they can no longer stand - believing that when they fall, they’ve reached the new levels of light love and happiness.
The history
It seems people are referencing old accounts of literal human glow-worms throughout history from as far back as 1934, where they described blue glowing people. It was theorised at the time it was due to an abundance of bioluminescence. If left untreated, their glow could burn through the ground beneath them.
The modern thinking
These people online described these historical heroes of transformation as “icons“, “the original queens“, and jokingly speaking to them, “babe, you’re literally glowing“. They believe that they can make themselves glow from within, by using their beloved devices to light themselves up from the outside in.
Have they equated glowing with happiness? The amount of screens facing you equalling an audience of admirers? Have they all entirely lost the plot??
The limit
The more devices used, the more outlets are needed to keep them running. Now, not only are health officials urging people not to participate in the trend - as standing until you can’t anymore is “unwise” - but now firefighters too are also pleading citizens to not join in as stories pour in from houses on fire as a result of plug sockets overheating.
A WARNING
We challenge you to see through the edited streams of dazzling footage - these people are not human glow-worms. A human glow-worm’s light is blue, and it pulsates - you’d know it if you saw it. But these are con artists, and they’re selling dreams - and iPhone stands! - they are not worthy of your admiration and money. SEEK HAPPINESS FROM WITHIN.
Written by Miss Tique
Dubbed a “must-read columnist in the world of the weird and uncanny” by Strange Media. Winner of the prestigious 666 award for her documentary on ‘The Ghost Writer”, 2006.
This blog post is part of an ongoing series where I write and illustrate a fictitious story written in the style of a news article, inspired by the writing inside ‘Phenomena: A Book of Wonders’, a book by John Michell and Robert J.M. Rickard.
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