Here’s a criticism of social media relating to the dust-up over a public safety officer (safely) putting down a badly injured moose. Back in the day, a few folks might have known the story, a few more chatted about it at the coffee shop, and there might have been some good-natured kidding. That’s a human or village-scale response; figure stuff out without an exploding device that does permanent damage. Instead, the story was accelerated and elevated through Facebook. Stress hormones were elevated and, along with them, apparently, shaming, should-ing and recrimination. What hit the proverbial fan and made an even bigger mess, wouldn’t have 30 years ago.
Humans have been working stuff out face-to-face for about a half-million years. Now with a “click,” we publish, share, like, and accelerate. And for whom, exactly? Trustworthy, successful, fully formed adults sideswiped by anxiety and pain, unable to solve the problems of the day? Who are the beneficiaries of this acceleration of “speech,” the elevation of stress, and deficiency of perspective-taking?
Now imagine you are a typical American youth, say 10 – 16 years of age. In your pocket, all day every day, is this same digital hormone accelerant. Therein, corporate-controlled menus and maladaptive triggers and apps shape your self-image and monetizing your life. Tragically, some call that freedom. Welcome to Facebook! BTW, they recently fired thousands of workers—those who do content-screening—so as not to interfere with your “free speech.”
Burl Sheldon