The Media Conundrum

Let's see if I have this right. 

When someone (let's call him John) posts an outrageous, hurtful, obviously crazy, tastelessly vulgar, or over-the-top political statement on social media, often John will be unfollowed or unfriended by the person receiving it. That is unless the person receiving it has a really good reason for remaining friends with John. (Business connection/family/neighbor etc.) Am I on track so far? 

If that's true, John will, over time, lose many of the friends/followers who aren't interested in John's ideas, political position, or poor attempts at humor. So, in effect, John eventually is reduced to trying to be funny for, or influence the thinking of, all of the people who are of the same set of beliefs as his. Preaching to the choir etc. So, then John would be posting for his own gratification and a relatively small number of others who "like" his posts. Or, at least, smaller than John thinks or would like.   

But, if John has enough friends/followers who buy what he is selling on social, then there's value in being an "influencer" of those people, however many there may be. What, then, becomes the value of a John post? Not much to John...but to some other entity that wants to appeal to John's group. 

John has acquired the ability to channel a smallish group of people to another website/platform etc. that is interested in promoting something. That could be a product or service...but often it's beliefs. People of the same set of beliefs, likes and dislikes, tend to be "funneled" to platforms that solidify their own ideas or wants and would like to inspire them to act in some way. Sometimes that can be good when someone is looking to purchase a particular product...or connect with a group of old friends. But it also is used for the promotion of sinister ideas and activities. And there is very little regulation of this mechanism.  

This phenomenon begins to mirror what is going on with today's mass media. People watch the news channel or network that reflects their own beliefs about right and wrong, liberal or conservative, Democrat or Republican, radical or moderate and so on. The channel or network has ratings and surveys that tell them who is watching and why. They feed their beast by presenting news and commentary slanted toward their viewer base. The viewer base grows or declines depending on how well their particular animal is fed. 

So...the social media funnel works to separate us all into groups of like-minded people. While the networks and cable/satellite channels are in the business of the same and taking advantage of those different groups. 

Is it any wonder that our country is so horribly divided on so many things these days? All of the devices in our hands, on our desks, and in our living rooms, kitchens and bedrooms are in the business of promoting ideas that cause us to dislike one another, and be segregated, for any number of reasons....unless you religiously watch the Hallmark channel and ignore your smartphone. 

Somehow we must understand that we are being channeled into groups of people that are unlike one another on purpose. It's a natural effect of the way social media and mass media are currently making money. And they won't change unless they no longer make money at it. 

We must fight the urge to be manipulated and influenced in this way! Believe what you want...but also have kindness and compassion for fellow humans...no matter how they look, how they act, where they live, or what they believe. Not part-time...but always.  

My thoughts here won't influence many. But if enough of us choose love over hate, common decency over radical ideas, acts of kindness over acts of destruction, and refuse to be manipulated by mass or social media, we will come out of the current dark tunnel of hateful pressure into a new light on the other side. I believe our future as a country seen as the world's beacon of democracy depends on it. 

Thanks for reading.