Social Media Is Neither

Let's be honest.  We've all benefited in some way from social media.  Whether it's staying in contact with a select group of people or being more tied into what's going on in a particular community or movement, we cannot deny that through social media we have the means of connecting in a far more efficient and accurate manner than ever before.

But it's this very allure which draws us in and helps to set us up for a nightmare that eclipses all of the good.  Virtually every negative aspect of society has become orders of magnitude more amplified owing to the ability of instantly rounding up a huge number of like-minded people - as well as artificial constructs that can often carry the same weight as real individuals.

Mob rule is never a good thing.  The least common denominator becomes the default and any signs of independent thought are quickly quelled.  Forums like Twitter and Facebook make it really simple to whip up outrage and shut down an opponent or even an entire opposing line of thought.  There are occasions where this is warranted, but there are many others where it is not.  Hatred, racism, bullying - these are easy to understand concepts that shouldn't be tolerated in any forum.  But then the tables get turned and, through social media, people are told that up is now down and 2 + 2 = 5.  Because of the mob mentality, few dare to question what is obviously wrong.  Most are content with being in a group where they feel they belong and where there's a target of "others" who are the threat and who must be stopped.

Nobody is immune from this.  We've seen it happen on all sides of the political and social spectrum.  Just as we once told ourselves that fascist rhetoric could never take hold in our country, we now make a similar miscalculation in concluding that whatever side we're on is safe from undue peer pressure through social media.  While there are certainly perceptible differences in the degree that we're all affected, a seed is still a seed.  As long as we hand over this much power and influence to this means of communication, we risk losing a great deal before we even realize there's a threat.

When "alternative facts" become legitimized through over-tolerance or by convincing people that they're constantly being lied to, almost everything can be turned into reality for a significant part of the population.  This is how a fair election can be seen as a stolen one by huge numbers of people; those saying otherwise are lying and making up facts - and simply saying so is enough to convince those who have signed on to the right social media faction.  We saw the same thing with vaccines and how all kinds of easily disproved "facts" were being spread and believed, despite what health experts worldwide were saying; the health experts were in on the conspiracy, after all.  Suspicion and mistrust, coupled with instant access to millions of believers and sharing legitimate-looking stories, made actual facts no longer necessary.  As Russia continues its brutal onslaught in Ukraine, its citizens continue to believe the official version of events, despite what on-the-scene journalists, witnesses, and actual unedited footage are saying.  This is actually an older strategy of simply shutting down the independent voices and only permitting state propaganda to be heard.  It's historically how populations have been controlled and it continues to be an effective means of manipulation across the planet.  Control of social media only makes this tactic easier.

When we say that social media is neither, what we mean is that there is nothing social about blindly following and never questioning what you're told by the people you find yourself allied with.  We know this is not how everyone uses the tool, but a significant percentage of the population does.  And as for media, let's just say this is not the kind that you should rely upon to tell you the truth or to uncover actual facts, particularly those you may not want to hear.  That form of media is comprised of people who spend their lives pursuing facts, questioning what they're told, often putting themselves in danger, and reporting what they find - regardless of who benefits and who wins or loses.  Yes, we can still "become the media" and uncover those truths that mainstream media overlooks for one reason or another.  But this is an earned position, not one that you get simply because you want it.  Unfortunately, the lines have been blurred to such a degree that it's almost impossible to tell true journalists from entertainers - or even highly delusional individuals.

The risks to all of us if this continues are great.  In the past, we've warned of the potential abuses of new technology by asking readers to imagine what might have happened had the Nazis had such tools at their disposal.  Now try to imagine what they would have done with the power of social media.  And realize that there are many regimes that are at this moment refining their skills in that particular realm so that their message becomes the only one that spreads and weaponizes.  In the past, you simply had to have a dictatorial form of government where the population and the media were controlled in order to turn lies into truth.  But now, all you need is a way of reaching susceptible people through social media, along with a message of suspicion and fear that will motivate them to follow you and do whatever you say.  And once that's perfected, the dictatorial power will inevitably follow, as the mindset for it has already been established.

It's a scary prospect, but it's not an inevitable one.  We have the ability to fight back.  We just have to believe in ourselves as individuals who aren't desperate to win acceptance.  We don't have to keep going down this road.

This means taking social media a whole lot less seriously.  It means actually talking to people one on one and not just going with what's popular or trending.  It means not being afraid to speak your mind and to not feel the need to punish others when they do so.  Arguing is great.  Shaming is a tool often used by bullies who can't win an argument with words, so they turn to mobs.  We can do better.

It may seem comical and almost fun to watch how crazy things can possibly get.  We used to believe that to a degree years ago.  But if the nonsense leads to the wrong people being in the wrong positions and making the wrong decisions, it very quickly stops being funny.  And it's damn difficult to untangle the ensuing mess.

We're living through a lot of those consequences today and the situation may seem hopeless at times.  It's not.  It just requires that we work together so that a degree of sanity can once again prevail.  That means being able to distinguish fact from fiction, to respect the words of those who have devoted themselves to true research, and to always continue questioning what you're told.  That latter part should apply to everyone, not just those you don't trust.  Most of all, we have to learn how to communicate with people again, not just usernames.

Social media started with such promise.  We gave it too much power.  It's well past time we took that back.