"Social" Media has killed my love of the Web.
Once upon a time, back in the glory days of the ’90s, the Web was a small, friendly place (for the most part!), where social misfits, outcasts, and those deemed “abnormal” could safely congregate, talk, vent, and generally gain some sense of community in a world hostile to anyone who does not fit the accepted norms. It was a safe place, where those who did not know how to interact with their fellow man could learn, without the shame of forever being branded by a social faux-pas, and if one did something wrong, well, that was OK. It was a FUN place.
Not anymore. Now, “Social” media has forced people out in the open, even those who do not prefer to be out in the open. It has outed people for things that society still arrogantly refuses to accept, like being transgendered, gay, plural families, etc. It has caused the deaths of many of our children, whom were bullied so horrendously that they decided suicide was the only option. Because now, the bullying that used to occur exclusively at schools is brought to the safety and sanctity of one’s house, and is in a public space where every single person on the planet can easily view the bullying, and marks the victim for life. It has also removed one of humanity’s rights: the right to privacy.
The computer algorithms that are in use by social media filter what you see, deciding in their arrogance what they think you want to see. The effects of this are simply stunning. It means that one never encounters divergent views, never sees “the other side of the coin”, since the algorithms have decided that you don’t need to see them. If one believes that climate change is a myth, not only are they stupid, but they will never be presented with any articles or evidence to the contrary. 9/11er? Same thing. It perpetuates the polarization of society. One could even argue with some degree of accuracy, that the polarization of our society was, in fact, caused by these algorithms.
The Internet is no longer a safe, warm and welcoming place. It has become a place where the slightest wrong is amplified and spreads around the world in seconds, where every word spoken, no matter how far in the past, no matter the circumstance, is judged and remembered, and used years in the future to berate someone.
We are all human. We all make mistakes, and we all deserve the chance to have a “clean” break from them. “Social” media has made this impossible. Actions that once would have caused tremendous stress for days, or weeks, now follows one around for LIFE. This is morally wrong, and socially hazardous.
"Social" media, is anything but.
