If you don’t have a QR code, you don’t exist!

In a not-too-distant future, in a nearby country, people began to feel that their ability to communicate and understand each other was gradually fading. Despite all the technological advancements and virtual platforms designed to connect people, most felt increasingly alone lost in what was real and what wasn’t, what was true and what was supposed to be true. Who said what, and what they truly thought. How someone appeared versus who they really were. The charm of first impressions could be deceived, just like the five human senses. And people… people don’t want to be deceived.

So, one day, with the consent of the majority, who clamored for change, and with the support of top-notch technological developers, the country’s government decided to change the world. With the latest artificial intelligence and development methods that “even God didn’t understand,” they developed and introduced the QR code of identity. Every citizen, including newborns, was required to wear this code visibly so others could scan it. The QR code revealed information about its owner their good qualities, valued traits, but also their darker sides, the ones they struggled with. With one click, each person's inner secrets were exposed on display.

“If you don’t have a QR code, you don’t exist!”

The first day this system was implemented, the country was buzzing. People began scanning each other's QR codes some curious and excited, others cautious and sceptical. But euphoria prevailed. People felt they had discovered the truth, that they knew what others had been hiding, and that finally, everything was in order. After all, it was scientifically validated, so a general sense of satisfaction reigned. A few weeks later, QR codes became an integral part of life. People began seeing more into one another and forming new friendships. Those with similar strengths supported each other, and those with weaknesses collaborated on improvement. Initially, the system's advantages outweighed the disadvantages, as is often the case with novelties, and few realized that everything has a dark side.

It didn’t take long for the system to show its true colours. People stopped wondering; they began asserting and judging, supported by an innovative method, an authority that went unquestioned. New communities and castes emerged. People increasingly inclined toward a black-and-white view of the world and of themselves. Discrimination against those with negative traits began in earnest. Those labelled as “unfit” for work, education, parenthood, marriage, or for living according to prescribed rules stopped trying to work on their weaker points. Those labelled as “ideal” lost motivation as well, as they no longer felt the need to strive. Harmony in society began to disappear.

As always, there were people who tried to circumvent the system or profit from it. This led to the emergence of a black market for QR codes, where anyone with the financial means could buy a fake code with the best possible qualities. Those who previously had traits like “manipulative” or “egocentric” on their code suddenly boasted labels like “kind” or “benevolent.”

QR codes introduced differences into society that were “black and white” and instead of creating order, they fueled chaos. People stopped using their own judgment and relied solely on the application. Their sixth sense atrophied completely. On one hand, the codes allowed people to see the truth about each other, teaching them compassion and patience. But on the other hand, QR codes stripped people bare, leaving them too vulnerable. Technology can help us understand others better, but without respect, empathy, and personal judgment, it risks becoming a cold, insensitive labelling system. For these reasons, the system was eventually modified so that negative traits were only visible to those who had earned the person’s trust or had a longer relationship with them. This allowed people to understand themselves and others better without judging on first impressions.

And then… in a not-too-distant future, in a nearby country, people lived happily ever after, until they passed away or until someone else came up with a new system for measuring, counting, weighing, naming, or labelling…