Looking at social media, I see the possibility of a more open and connected world, the one that Mark Zuckerberg continually talks about. And yet, with each day we see a new headline discussing how the world is being more connected in the wrong ways through these social media platforms. Data being sold left and right, the data that individuals believe they are giving to these sites with confidence that it will stay private. It is a new battle being fought, but one that seems to be a losing one when each day promises to protect users’ data go broken. It paints a bleak view of a digital world that is surrounded in controversy, though this is nothing new.
The entire story of social media is followed by story after story about how it harms the individuals utilizing it, predatory practices that resemble the methods used in casinos to keep people coming back day in and day out. These sites have become a source of constant dopamine, enough to the point that individuals can no longer comfortably be bored. Alongside this, it is a means of connecting through false realities. It paints a false image of the individuals around you, showing mostly only the good that happens in their lives that individuals would want to share. It is normally not a place to share the bad, and when it does it carries a harsher stigma than discussing your problems to others, as it also gives an air of attention seeking. It has created a culture of thoughts and prayers, sympathy without any meaningful interactions. It allows people to be disconnected from others without showing that you are outright. It becomes a matter of apathy without stating it. Like many discussions surrounding the culture that we find ourselves engaging with in this digital world, it is pessimistic more often than not. People grow further from each other and lose out on vital skills to engage with each other directly, often allowing individuals to sit in groups that echo the same sentiments to each other. For some things it is less of an issue, but when looking to dangerous ideologies present openly in right-wing politics, these echo chambers warp the perspective people have on the world, allowing them the belief that they are the majority and to constantly reaffirm these hate fueled ideas. It is the danger of any media, but by allowing people around the world to find each other that share these views, it is hard to see social media as a tool that will better the world at this point.
Pessimism aside, I think that the main solution to these problems is the same as many others, education. By understanding these concepts, individuals can make better choices and direct themselves and others to better results. I think that classes like ours are exactly what is necessary to start being able to find meaningful solutions for these issues, and with a common stepping stone, I think that we will find branching methods to create a properly open and more connected world, one that is not plagued by the kinds of vitriol and hate that we see today. These ideas are my main take away from this course, and I genuinely hope that others see this as well.
Mass Media & American Life 
Hahah, a culture of thoughts and prayers is a great way to put it. Social media definitely dissociates us from the real world, despite connecting us to tragedy as soon as it happens through the news
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Great blog. I agree that education is the solution. I had a recurring thought while watching several documentaries in our class – we would often hear adults, parents, and educators bemoan the dangers of the internet, social media, etc, but seemingly none of them proposed a solution. It’s clear to me that these are all tools, and any tool can be dangerous when used improperly. Progress is inevitable, necessary, and at times, painful. But the best we can do is educate ourselves on how to exist within the world we’ve created.
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