Expressing Our Love Toward Others Is What Makes Us Human

In Call Me By Your Name, a screenplay that follows the emotional journey of an adolescent in the 1980s, there’s a subtle yet profound scene that reveals the film’s underlying message about love. 

The pivotal scene centers around a single question: “Is it better to speak or to die?” 

That question has become a mirror for the dilemma we all face at some point in our lives: the battle between expressing one’s feelings or remaining silent. 

To speak, is to risk facing rejection; to die, is to accept the circumstances and only imagine what could have been.

Today, that idea seems foreign to us. We live in a culture that glorifies casual relationships and treats being ‘in love’ as embarrassing. 

Romantic feelings have become something to hide, not something to celebrate.

In the social media age, vulnerability is viewed as a weakness. Platforms like Tiktok and Instagram have popularized emotional detachment as a form of power while longing for deeper connections is tabbed as unrealistic or cringe.

I see this reflected in conversations with my friends. They brag about “situationships” and follow dating strategies like waiting hours to reply, avoiding double texts and never admitting how they truly feel.

What’s concerning is that this behavior has become the norm; although everyone quietly craves connection.

Why did we change? 

Part of it stems from the fear social media has instilled in us—the fear of rejection, public embarrassment and the permanent reminder of our failure. 

Vulnerability feels dangerous when every action is visible. People protect themselves and their reputation by pretending to care less.

But, what’s easier is not always better. 

Hookup culture often leaves people feeling empty and confused, not empowered. 

For a generation that praises “authenticity” and “living in your truth,” we are surprisingly unwilling to be authentic about love. 

We tell ourselves casual means confident when in reality, detachment is a mask. 

Ironically, the art we celebrate contradicts this detachment. The music we scream in cars, the movies we cry to and the books we hold dear are rarely about one-night stands. Most are about love. 

We listen to artists like SZA, Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift who build entire albums around heartbreak and longing because they give voice to the feelings we are afraid to express out loud. Yet, in everyday life, we repress those same feelings. 

So… is it better to speak or to die? 

To speak is not shameful. To love, openly and without apologies, is one of the bravest acts a person can take.

My generation acts like silence saves us, but all it really does is starve us. 

Love may be messy. It may sting. It may not always be reciprocated. But, staying quiet is to never give it a chance at all. 

If these are the risks, then it’s a price worth paying.

We must stop treating love like a joke and start seeing it for what it really is—the very thing that makes us human. 

The next time you find yourself in this moment of hesitation and doubt, don’t repress your feelings. Acknowledge them and allow them to flourish. 

Gianna Michel is a high school senior at Miami Lakes Educational Center and is a dual-enrollment student at North Campus.