We’ve Raised a Monster

Combatting the Hopelessness Caused by Social Media

What the hell has social media and “choose your view” news done to our society? I had a friend post something on Facebook yesterday that really made me stop and think. She talked about being glad she is old and won’t be on this earth much longer because seeing all the cruelty that is happening is just too much. She had many friends replying that they could relate.

I immediately jumped on and said something I didn’t even know I believed. I told her there are a lot more good people than bad, it’s just that the good ones don’t make the news. They don’t provide clickable headlines. They are just going about their lives largely unnoticed by all except friends and family.

I also added that there are many good things happening in our world, we just have to search for them. She replied that we shouldn’t have to look for the good.

What is Your Responsibility?

Maybe she’s right. Maybe the bad news shouldn’t always be what’s being shoved at us from all directions — news, social media, and even our email box. What responsibility do we as writers and as consumers have in all of this? Every one of us who has ever posted is a writer and anyone who has ever read a post is a consumer. How much a part of the problem are we versus part of the solution?

I think most of us look at the social media beast like we would a storm — we don’t have to like it, we just have to put up with it and hope the damage is minimal. That seems wrong, though. It’s not this huge monster that suddenly appeared from the sky that we have no influence over. We thought it was cute, so we fed it, gave it clothing and shelter. We raised this entity that we barely recognize and are ashamed of, but we still love on some level. It’s less like a storm than a child raised into adulthood without the guidance and boundaries we should have provided.

What are You Willing to Give Up?

I am lumping all news and social media into one big dysfunctional lump, but perhaps citing specifics is more realistic and fair. Let’s look at Facebook since it is the most under fire lately, with many big-name brands boycotting them and lots of individuals, including celebrities, leaving the platform. People are worried about the security breaches and large amounts of misinformation and outright lies allowed on the platform.

In some cases, the destructive creatures we create can be retrained, but it’s tough, and not everyone will buy-in. Look at gas-guzzling vehicles vs. hybrid and all-electric ones. Many people are trying to undo long-term damage, but it’s a tough fight.

In the case of Facebook, people are trying to help tame the monster. They’ve talked to Dr. Frankenstein to explain the destruction being caused and what would be more acceptable. Unfortunately, he likes his monster just the way it is.

That leaves as the most viable option starving the beast. This means big advertisers need to walk away, as well as small ones, and so do those of us who just like to check in to see what our family and friends posted today.

The need for such drastic action creates a dilemma — balancing profits with doing the right thing ethically. Facebook advertising works or companies wouldn’t pay billions of dollars a year to show up in people’s feeds. A whole industry has been built around teaching small business owners how to successfully advertise on Facebook (and it’s acquisition, Instagram). How many companies are willing to risk a portion of their business to take a stand? How many individuals will try to get their friends on a different platform, or keep in touch with them via audio or video calls rather than remain on the familiar Facebook?

This brings me back to my original question. What is our responsibility in all of this? What is my responsibility? What is your responsibility?

Stop Sharing “News” and Share Your Own Thoughts

Short of quitting Facebook, maybe we need to stop clicking on ads and sharing stories that even resemble news. Maybe we should be sharing our original thoughts, ideas, experiences, and links to our blogs. We don’t have to regurgitate the messages of others’. Each of us has unique ideas of our own to share.

Isn’t that how people get acquainted, by sharing tidbits from their life? Can you imagine going up to a casual acquaintance in real life and handing them a political article for comment? Instead, you are likely to share an actual story from your own life — something you did, or saw, or heard about from a co-worker. Truly sharing something is how we learn about each other and generate new ideas and understandings.

Don’t want to share your thoughts? That’s okay. Perhaps sharing pictures of our kids, pets, and recipes really is the best use of social media. There are those that make fun of people that like to post bits of daily life, but in today’s world couldn’t we all use a picture of our cousin’s new puppy or a recipe for using up all the zucchini we’ve been growing?

Before you hit “post” or “share” next time, ask yourself if you are truly sharing useful information, making the world a more interesting place, or putting a smile on someone’s face. If not, what ARE you doing?

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