Problems With Social Media

I’m that guy who gets a message on Facebook and might see it four weeks later—and by might I mean maybe and probably not. You are better off sending smoke signals than “hitting me up” with a social media message. There is lots to dislike about social media, but what’s happening now is dangerous.

Remember when the Hunter Biden story in the New York Post first broke in mid October? That story showed actual proof that Biden was actually doing the same exact thing, colluding with a foreign country, that for the past four years our current president was accused of doing—accused with no actual proof.

As people who spend hours each day on social media are apt to do, many had their ‘aha’ moment and shared the New York Post story. Facebook and Twitter promptly responded by censoring the story—prohibiting anyone from sharing the story and slapping it with Fact Checker notifications proclaiming it as false, when in actuality it was a sourced news story backed up by an actual computer full of actual emails. The Russian collusion hoax? Those stories used unnamed ‘sources’ and no actual facts or proof, yet were never censored or fact-checked.

Smell something?

I’m sure there are people who hate the current president enough they literally could justify any action that resulted in helping remove him from office. But I hope everyone, even those on the team just mentioned, can take an objective pause for a moment and consider the power social media companies now possess. They just took sides in an election and wielded a never-before-seen power and influence.

What sides could they take next?

Even if you’re on that team that justifies what went on because you got the end result you were seeking, you might pause to consider what could be next. Do the people who run those social media companies and now wield this uncompromising, never-seen-before power think just like you? About everything? If they can choose to censor or allow only ideas and information they agree with, they can absolutely influence policy, and then ultimately they can influence laws and regulations.

Wonder what the Facebook and Twitter folks think about hunting? What do they think about your semi-automatic shotgun? Do they think you should be allowed to have a pickup truck that drinks more gasoline than they think appropriate?

Seem far-fetched? Look how quickly we’ve gotten to a point where so many people are so engaged on social media, and look at what those companies just did in an election.

When the New York Post censorship hit, lots of people proclaimed their outrage—on social media. People complained about Facebook, and their method of complaint was literally by posting on Facebook. That’s like driving to the liquor store to complain about how bad whiskey is making your life—and buying some whiskey while you are there! Each and every time you open up Facebook on your phone or computer, you’re making those people money.

And people proudly posting on Facebook that they’re moving to another social media site is about like quitting whiskey—while taking a drink of whiskey—and deciding to take up drinking vodka. It’s not the flavor of alcohol, it’s what the alcohol does to you, and the power it has over you.

Another dangerous aspect of social media is it giving voice to a “Gotcha” culture where people look for any angle to criticize. And of late the culture has fallen off a cliff to include “Canceling” anyone who says something the gotcha guy or gal doesn’t agree with.

My New Year’s wish is for folks to have a little more compassion and a little more patience. No one thinks and believes just like you all the time about every single thing. No one. Eventually Gotcha and Cancel will leave you with just that… no one.

Please close the app. Text or call someone. You want to really have a positive impact on your life and society in general? Set up a hunting or fishing trip. That will work wonders, every time.