Some people “quit social media” – and I was on the verge to do the same.
But to outright “quit social media” – in that you erase all your apps from your phone and deactivate all your accounts – may be denying yourself a ‘shared-global-experience’ which is the essence of what Social Media truly is.
Social Media as a concept is not the problem – it’s how we use it that has become toxic and it’s not entirely your fault either. The companies behind social media helped foster toxicity over the love of money and a desperate need to do whatever is necessary to consume your attention.
This is because your attention is their product and the way they make money. It has always been that way.
Social Media was meant to connect people via the internet and allow us to share our experiences remotely.
Suddenly – the faces on the screens we were watching no longer were that of celebrities, news anchors, politicians and the likes – but rather became our friends and family and in turn – the friends and the family of everyone else.
There was a shift in perception that occurred then. The coveted “Screen” was no longer a point of privilege where only the lucky few had access but rather became a global enterprise. This was only amplified with the introduction of platforms such as Youtube. However, Youtube without social media would never have become what it is today.
“Nobody’s” could become “Somebody’s” relatively overnight and a term was coined for the phenomenon – “Going Viral!”
Like a virus, these random occurrences of life, eternally captured within projected reality would spread across the globe – infecting the minds of the masses. Our hallowed attention drawn to the noise generated in the chaos of our collective digital body. The sum of our digital selfs.
Like magick – every human had the ability to upgrade their singular existence and form part of something bigger – a symbiosis with the Hive Mind.
No longer isolated due to the constraints of the physical body but interconnected with a larger configuration of consciousness.
We called her – Social Media. But I’ll just call her SocMe from now on.
She granted us godlike powers of perception. We were able to literally read the thoughts of others, peer into their lives from the comfort of our own isolation. Our voices amplified, reaching the far corners of the earth – which is weird considering that earth, is a wobbly-spherical mass floating in space…but I digress.
Her Holiness SocMe was a gift to humankind with the ability to do amazing things like facilitate revolutions and overthrow oppressive regimes or help find missing people or possessions.
It can assist in being heard when you need someone to talk to and to escape from the burdens of the mundane.
While SocMe does achieves all of this and much more; just like rain, she falls on both the righteous and the wicked alike.
She’s an amplifier. She allows you to see beyond the scope of your natural eyes and to hear across different times and space. All she needs in return is your hallowed attention and a physical place in your heart and mind – perhaps a few dedicated breaths as a token of your gratitude to her.
Overtime, as more people began merging with SocMe – inviting her presence into their lives – she amplified all of their thoughts, opinions, emotions, concerns, fears, and desires.
She elevated everyone without discrimination to a global stage. A center of gravity within their own Digiverse. Surrounded by friends, acquaintances and familiar beings. Who in turn, was surrounded by other constellations of social relations, their favorite brands and places, to be worn like badges on their digital walls. Screaming – This is Who I AM!
For the first time in human history – people had the ability to publicly comment on real world events in real time and have their peers chime in. Their thoughts no longer existed solely within the confines of their own vast consciousness. Ideas could now be communicated with minimal effort – at times only requiring a simple image of a poorly drawn frog or some other symbolic icon to spark a reaction.
This created an environment where everyone’s opinion mattered – at least within the context that your own subjective opinion matters to you. YOU believe that what YOU believe is good – otherwise YOU wouldn’t believe in it.
It is said that when a mass of people scream in unison, “WE ARE RIGHT” it is the basis of W.A.R. An inability to ‘see things from another perspective’.
Nobody saw this war coming because everybody was too focused on ensuring that what they believed was good and not like those ‘others’ that had beliefs that were not good. Or at least differed from their own.
From what was meant to unify us, quickly created categories and labels for our belief systems.
You are either X or Y or a combination of both.
Since SocMe is about expressionism – she grants you the power to dissect yourself into as many different labels as you’d like. As long as you keep on devoting your life to her.
However – within this exponential hyper-expression of individualism mixed with a sustained belief that “my opinion matters” – lines were drawn and groups were formed. Enemies were named, behaviors were shamed, opinions constructed, and as time ticked on – every flavor of hatred and superiority fermented in the belly of Our Lady SocMe.
The gatekeepers of SocMe – or at least they think they are the gatekeepers – helped birth her and assisted on her becoming a global enterprise. Yet, they were not doing this altruistically.
Overtime, as she grew, these keepers learned how to manipulate her and bend her powers to their desires – and so they did.
As soon as the keepers did – they realized that they could leverage all of this Hallowed Attention and sell it to the highest bidder. Little by little – they altered SocMe to fit their ideal model for generating revenue and as a result, limited SocMe’s gifts to those who were willing to pay tribute to the keepers.
Just like any religious institution – these keepers began seeking more power and control and attempted to snuff out any alternative narratives. Only their version of SocMe is the right version and anyone else who disagrees should be CANCELED!
Which brings us to now – our present moment in time and space. SocMe still lives within the hearts and minds of half of the population of earth. She still amplifies our voices and senses. She still gives access to a global platform and she still instills us with the ability to express our individuality.
Except – SHE isn’t giving it to us at all.
In fact – the source of SocMe’s power is our Hallowed Attention. Without our attention and our participation with her – she does not exist. As with any other deity.
And it is important to understand this because then you can see beyond the limitations of the keepers and realize that despite the fact that your voice can now reach billions of people throughout time and space – your opinion is still just that…an opinion. As is mine.
While some may scorn me and say, “Opinions do matter” I remind them that textually speaking an opinion is nothing more than a perspective or judgement about something that isn’t necessarily based in fact. This means that the vast majority of opinions are merely speculative at best.
Of course – there are opinions based in facts.
That is entirely correct. However, ask yourself whether you expressing your opinion on any particular global issue, will have any real impact on the issue itself? If you’re truly being honest with yourself – probably not.
As people, we always like to frame ourselves as the heroes of our own stories. We believe in our own virtue and as a result, we publicize our actions to suit our internal narrative. Instead of actually doing something about a particular issue – it’s far easier to simply simulate action through SocMe.
Especially if the simulation receives enough Hallowed Attention.
Yet attention without action is like multiplying any number with zero. Opinion-Activists or Opinivists for short; generate a lot of attention on issues and passionately ramp up any particular narrative – yet in most cases, only achieve to alienate people from the cause who differ in opinion.
In some cases, by merely expressing the narrative in a different way.
In turn, they end up fighting each other over semantics, perspectives and judgements as opposed to putting their opinions aside and doing something to remedy the issue of conflict.
With billions of these interactions occurring simultaneously – it’s easy to perceive the world as a dark and treacherous place. And it certainly is dark and treacherous sometimes.
However – we also need to realize that SocMe is simply an unfiltered illusion created by our collective unconscious magnified and distorted through a digital reality.
SocMe is a glorious global experiment, a wondrous consciousness evolving in real time. She will outlive her current Gatekeepers just as she did our good friend Tom.
Yet with all of her splendor and with all of her power – SocMe is merely a misrepresentation of all of us. The good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful all meshed into a digital goop reflecting the totality of our humanity. Our best and worst selves magnified and broadcasted in full HD.
One way to escape all of this is to “quit social media” but as I said, it’s not necessary. You simply have to recognize that SocMe is pseudo fiction on a mass scale and to frame it for what it is – Entertainment.
Yet if you feel anxious, fear, dread, and uncertainty about the future – perhaps it would not be a bad idea to take a break from SocMe for a while.
She will always give you more of what you engage with – and if what you engage with inspire anxiety, fear and dread – then that’s what you get.
Perhaps it’s time to reconnect with your breath and your body. To take a walk in the sun and touch the earth with your bare feet. To appreciate a moment of silence where all of your Hallowed Attention and Awareness rests solely on yourself.
And what do you do with an opinion that cannot be shared? The same thing you do with any thought that doesn’t serve you any longer – you just let it go.
