"The current percentage of people using social media is 56.8% of the world's total population.
However, when we look into platform penetration rates from people in eligible audiences,
93.33% of 4.8 billion global internet users and 85% of 5.27 billion mobile phone users are on social media."
https://backlinko.com/social-media-users
The question I have is what percentage of those numbers are postings of nothing but complete garbage, non-sensical quips, political manipulations, and otherwise completely useless nonsense. I'd say most of it.
I'm not against social media, it would be like being against the sun shining, but I am against the complete dumbing down of people to 30 second shorts just to get attention, somehow, any way possible, the more shocking the better. The worst thing of all, since this all would go under the rubric of entertainment, then people seem to care less what they put out there.
But is that any different from any other medium? How about television?
I'd say at least 90% of television is basically a complete waist of time. I tossed the cable subscription because I didn't see any sense in paying for 90% garbage.
Hollywood and the Silver Screen is no better. You rarely see a good film anymore. It is mostly high action, high violence, and high special effects, laden with spectacular story lines that are so far away from reality that you'd think nobody would buy it. This is not the case. The crazier the better.
If there is content being produced that is worth watching I'm all for it, but the world is being overwhelmed by a complete misrepresentation of our own principles.
The worst part of all of this is the destruction of the importance of "Truth".
Apparently the "Truth" doesn't mean much any more. The question today isn't what is right or wrong it is how many people agree with it? If you get more people to believe in a lie, then that is worth more than the truth, and nobody seems to care about it.
In a time where "Fact vs Fiction" is getting fuzzier because of this popularity factor of opinion it becomes increasingly polarizing, divisive, and about who believes what rather than what is and what isn't true. In such an atmosphere those who are capable of fabricating the biggest fictions become more powerful and the groundwork is laid for all kinds of chaos in the world.
When Tweets can determine the political dialogue of a nation, then you know you are in deep trouble as a society. With that simple manipulation you can build entire webs of conspiracy theories and backwater groups.
What is the number one problem here?
NO RESPONSIBILITY, NO ACCOUNTABILITY, NOTHING TO SLOW IT DOWN.
Yes there are libel laws, and laws against bearing false witness, but that only works when someone stands up and says, "Hey, that is wrong!" Nobody, is doing that, especially not for the common good.
There is absolutely no consequence for publishing any sort of lie on social media. Maybe someone will get a slap on the wrist for something from one of the companies, but there is no watchdog over the craven masses that populate social media that have no reason not to lie.
A lie can be much more sensational than the truth, so if you want to have a lot of reaction on social media, it doesn't even pay to tell the truth. It pays to lie, no matter how small or large.
Freedom of Speech is guaranteed in the Constitution of the United States. However, Freedom of Speech doesn't include blatant lying. The sin of bearing false witness is one the Ten Commandments in the Bible.
This issue may not seem to be "all that bad" but to me it is a real danger for many reasons.
Lying destroys trust. Lying corrupts people. Lying isn't true, and what isn't true actually doesn't exist, so it is a fantasy, not real. Lying is the language of conspiracy and the circle of people you can trust will get smaller and smaller over time.
A lot of what is on social media is harmless. People sharing things about their daily normal lives, but social media is now being drenched with ads, shocking shorts, and divisive banter. There is so much crap on Social Media and people are addicted to it.
So, what should I post?
Do I post about what is going great in my life? Do I post about some misfortune that has befallen me or someone I know? Should I post about my political opinions or make sweeping religious remarks?
There is a large number of "Self Help" gurus that are always posting, sponsored that is, some kind of "Do this" and your life will completely change forever...if you buy into my seminar post.
I guess I am a bit jaded. Life has "Licked the red off of my candy."
I enjoy seeing and reading about my friends lives. It does keep us connected somehow. Many others I have gotten to know better through social media, and friendships from long ago have resurfaced. All very positive stuff. So there is good in social media, no doubt.
The bottom line for me is to focus on my life in the here and now. That is very difficult for me to do I guess because it bores me.
I spend way too much time on social media, there is no doubt about that. So, I will spend more time doing the things that will improve my life and not waste my time getting peeved when I sense the world is falling apart around me. That doesn't help me, nor anyone else, at all.