Misinformation and misguided words entered the human landscape at about the same time as, well, humans. Trillions and trillions of strung syllables are flung into the universe daily, and, I suspect, the universe would throw at least half of them back if it could - especially since the dawn of social media.
To be clear, I love catching up with long-lost friends and relatives, learning new things, and connecting with the world in powerful ways that were impossible just a generation ago. But more and more, the daily scroll feels like navigating a minefield. Maybe you'll get blown up, maybe you won't, but the risk is always there.
Social media has become a giant magnifying glass for the world, bringing into sharp focus things that were unknown or murky at best before. It's like when I got my first pair of glasses, and I was shocked to make some new discoveries about the cleanliness of my house and the state of my aging face. Whoa! was my first thought. Here is some stuff I was happy not knowing. And if social media is a huge magnifying glass, much like unsuspecting ants, we can't always escape the sometimes shocking and painful sting of the restless keyboard bullies crouching over us and angling their burning hot rhetoric with deadly precision.
Back in the good old days, people who wanted to destroy someone's credibility, character (or soul) had to work hard to achieve that goal. Today it can take mere seconds, depending on how fast you can type.
But is it true?
I realize that "truth" can be a polarizing concept in today's world, and I'm not here to debate social constructs, political narratives, or ideologies. I think we're all a lot tired. I'm just wondering; if you tend to deal in generalizations regarding the fellow planet dwellers you disagree with, do you know with certainty that what you're posting is accurate about ALL of them?
Recently I read these two sweeping generalizations on social media; "If you vote for a Democrat, you are voting for Satan." and "If you want a Civil War, vote for Republicans." Wow. Hyperbole much? Surely not ALL Democrats' heads spin a complete 360 as they make burnt offerings to the Prince of Darkness. And surely not ALL Republicans crouch by their windows, shotgun barrels readied to take down that darn, nasty gubment. Some of the most kind, loving, generous, and fun people I know subscribe to different political parties. And I wouldn't even know that if they hadn't offered the information - because I don't care.
Why are we so eager for a fight anyway? Maybe it's just a reflex - a defensive reaction to the toxic sludge we're spoon-fed almost every hour of the day. But, like my mother says I did as a child, I'm closing my mouth, turning my head, and forcefully refusing that sh*t. I've made up my mind that a person's political affiliation has no bearing on my actions toward them or my belief in their value as a human.
Have you seen the viral video of the two dogs on either side of a closed gate angrily barking, baring their teeth, and lunging at each other? As soon as the gate is opened and they find themselves face to face, they immediately stop, sniff each other, and just stand there wondering what happened. The second the gate is closed, they're right back at it.
If the gates (or screens) that separate us were removed, what might we discover? Maybe the person we're vilifying is actually nice, doesn't vote the party line, and isn't in lockstep with some of the wackiness their "side" represents (and there is plenty to go around on both). Maybe some of their beliefs are misguided, but it's a certainty that our public vitriol toward them won't change that. The possibility does exist that maybe we're all wrong about them because, in reality, we don't know (most of) them at all. We only know what we've been spoon-fed ad nauseam as we open our mouths like hungry baby birds, craning our necks toward the media that, in our opinion, has the juiciest worms.
It's just so easy for truth and accuracy to get lost in a big tangled ball of opinion these days. So what is really true? Is ANYTHING really true anymore? Well, I do believe in absolute truths, and here are a few of mine:
I believe it's possible to show your passion, hold to your convictions, fight for what you believe in, and not actively tear down others in the process. Let them feel convicted by what you're saying and hope for change exists. Let them feel condemned by what you're saying, and the gate is shut tight, both parties baring their teeth again. Because there is no influence without acceptance and, despite the most popular narratives today, acceptance does not require approval. (And nobody needs ours anyway.)
Social media magnifies everything, and the magnifying glass makes no distinction between good and bad. It does its job either way - it can expand the good and enlarge the common ground or use its power to burn us to death. The outcome depends solely on the user and what they wish to see in the world.