We are in the dead center of the information age. Unfortunately, there are those of us who didn’t get the memo, so I’m going to make it official.
Remember when Democrats used to talk about jobs, the working class, minimum wage and helping the poor, etc? Nope, it’s not a thing anymore.
We can’t agree on how to handle basic COVID-19 protocols. It’s not a coincidence. Our new wars are informational and the personalities that used to dominate the local and national news can’t be bothered with the minute details of truth-telling.
They have to compete with social media, email, and other online news sources. They have to pick a side and the only losers are the people who can’t be bothered with diligently researching and digging into what really is the case.
Everyday Americans have kids to raise, bills to pay, and lives to live. We don’t have the time to fact check each and every headline, story, segment, or post.
Still, the national news media needs to compete. How do they do this? Clickbait. If it emotionally triggers you then they generate eyeballs, clicks, retweets, and shares. The more people they engage, the more sponsors and advertisers they can keep…and gain. Truth is a construct and opinion is a fact, catered to what you want to feel. We, humans, are fickle, we act on feelings and NOT logic. Basic marketing, nothing new.
Personally, I want to blame social media, but unfortunately, it’s a double-edged sword. Social media giveth and takes away. Social media is the only source of legitimate news but is also one of the primary sources of the angst our society feels today.
The issue is complex and the only way to deal with it is through education, empathy, and understanding. You can’t understand a person, place, or thing by reading statuses, tweets, or posts.
Real conversations are needed. Ideologies are more dangerous than ever and politics have trumped the most basic human needs. (Ask yourself why do you hate Trump? it’s not a coincidence.)
It’s the information age, so if you don’t know for sure, have your doubts, or rallying behind a cause you think you believe in or you’re not into researching and delving into specifics than I advise you to find someone who is. Otherwise, you will find yourself in a situation you do not recognize.
Yet and still factual information may still elude us. At the end of the day, I have a rule of thumb. Embrace things that bring us together, make us better, things that give our lives meaning, things that transcend race, place, and preconceived notions of what is, what has been and what could be.
