When did we get to be cases,

When did we get to be cases,

Clients, patients

Units, numbers, statistics

Faceless

Why do we dance to an algorithm

Be satisfied with an applied

Formula

To establish optimum coverage

Of a popular demographic,

When did we fit in a box?

Why were we discounted

As too old

Too small

Too tall

Too fat too thin

Too colourful.

An outlier

A square peg

A prime candidate

A target audience

A consumer

Of mass production

An indiscriminate prole

A round hole.

A video game freak

A computer geek

A glitch in the system

A binary code

A computer node

A bitcoin loser

An opioid user.

A pyramid scheme

A stupid meme

The butt of the joke

The annoying old bloke

In the corner

Who can’t get used to

A self-service checkout

An automated check-in.

When progress means

Less face-to-face contact

Increased

Social isolation

Paranoid ideation

And the loss

Of social cohesion.

Why do we all want to fit in

Opt-out?