I write to you from Generation Z, the first generation to grow up under social media.
No wisdom or philosophy from the past could have fully prepared me for the new abstract threats brought by the turn of the century. The ancient footsteps from the fathers before stop behind me. Lincoln and Dylan couldn't help me with the questions of navigating a shapeless digital world. All I get are self-ordained teachers. All the inherited knowledge bequeathed upon me has not fully considered the inflection points that are occurring within this century. Under modern renaissance of mankind, man has not faced social media, which I believe is the most unnatural global experiment. Man is writing history faster than it has learnt from it. All that to say, there are grave dangers and uncertainties ahead.
I do not intend of frightening or prophesizing some Malthusian catastrophe. Man is not new to challenges. From the worrying powers of thermonuclear weapons to the journey of the Pilgrims over the Mayflower, the homo sapien story is marked by tumultuous uncertainty and trailblazed by courageous pioneers. My only intention is to express the perils of the institutionalized social media.
On the institution of social media
Capitalizing attention is an unnatural feature of a modern age. The intuitions designed by evolution and etched into the deepest brain tissues have been diligently reverse engineered by data scientists to make a buck. Tech giants have allowed desire to run rampantly. Profit can speak louder than the public good. Profit can speak louder than many things.
While the internet has brought sickness and disease, like the Spaniards coming to America, they've also brought tools and a wealth of knowledge. Collective knowledge has grown rapidly.
With the introduction of social groups in a virtual space, we encounter a social paradigm that is a far cry from our ancestral tribal communities. These groups are inflated to hundreds and thousands and millions of people. These "communities" are arguably not communities at all, instead a copied print from the Glutenberg Printing Press.
Like Huxley's escapist drug Soma, digital entertainment has taken the newest house on the block. As with all flames of temptation that answer only to an angry fix, those flames can ensare us.
On comparison
Is living only in the measurement of others living at all? Comparison within bounds is healthy: keeps us within rank of our immediate peers, motivates us to compete within a small group, develops specialized skills across a team. All advantageous within a historical context. As the peer group grows ever larger, it becomes unreasonable for a common man to compare with the likes of Michael Phelps or Kobe Bryant. They rightfully belong in a different peer group. To extend, social media can allow comparison across a variety of peer groups, allowing in the thoughts of self-defeat when no one's really there to stop you. Comparison without bounds is unhealthy. Like how Cain has taught us, jealousy without limits is destructive.
Residing in a glass house in Central Park will wear you down. There lies a tendency in acting dishonestly under the gaze of others. Done consistently, dishonest actions lead us down a dishonest road. The scholar who keeps lying to himself about how he feels about his career path but under the influence of others opinion may find a unforgiving path. The voices of others can drown out your own.
On an algorithmic exposure to the world
We are fed by algorithms. They can show a distorted rendition of the world we live in. Suggesting similar content, in the meager hopes of engagement, is problematic. A curious question about female behavior can lead into a wave of misogynistic content explaining biased female behavior. An inquiry about the state of the world can lead to a cascade of articles about wars, corruption, and violence. A vague idea about vanity can lead to ill people who only philosophize disgrace. I have seen these algorithms destroy minds by misleading young children off in a one-dimensional spiral.
There is the saying, "If it bleeds, it leads." We like drama. We don't like to hear about the latest updates in municipal infrastructure. Again, due to this evolutionary bias, we can often build a negative world view.
On the importance of our social networks
It is commonly known and researched that long-term happiness resides in the quality of our relationships. Those with a sense of community would look back at our lives and cherish those closest. Those without strong relationships can grow askew. I question whether social media facilitates the growth of these strong relationships.
On navigating an information age
If you ask me for a technological solution, I come empty handed. However, I know a ship without a rudder will encounter storms more frequently. Though sailed by confusion, these questions and observations have lead me to a place I'm comfortable with, which is rightfully not the solution for everyone. Questions of how my actions affect others, of what levels of privacy are comfortable, of what coping mechanisms have been developed, of what beauty looks like to me, or of the intentions of others over a digital medium build an informed world view. Like the times of past, there are always charismatic salesmen ready to bend you.