In my view, homelessness is a striking example of how society creates “ghosts” — people who live among us yet go unseen. When I walk through city streets, I often notice how the homeless blend into the background, as if their very existence has been erased. People pass them by, caught up in their own lives, barely acknowledging the human beings just a few feet away. It’s not that society doesn’t know they exist, but rather that we choose not to see them. This deliberate avoidance is a form of “ghosting,” a way to turn our backs on uncomfortable realities without ever addressing the root causes.
I believe that homelessness isn’t simply a matter of personal failure, as some might argue. There are deep, systemic reasons behind it — mental health challenges, lack of affordable housing, and economic disparities, to name just a few. But what stands out most to me is how easily these individuals become invisible in a world that values appearance, success, and productivity above all else. It’s as though without a stable address or a polished exterior, they cease to matter.
What troubles me is how we’ve normalized this kind of social “ghosting.” We walk past the homeless every day, rarely stopping to consider their stories, their struggles, or the sheer complexity of their situation.
I wonder what it would take for us to truly see them.
– Danny JIN