Social media is really not what it used to be. It used to be a place where you could share what you ate for lunch, a picture of your dog looking cute, or a picture of what your dog ate for lunch. That all has changed though. Now it seems like social media is a place to trumpet your political beliefs and belittle other people's political beliefs.
It seems to me that it would be all right if people offered their support for a candidate or ideal on social media. Maybe there could be a sticker that says "I like Ike" or something like that. But the constant barrage of negativity and tunnel vision that goes on is far past being annoying.
The bad part about all the pulpit hammering is that it does not bring anyone together. All the warring factions of Democrats and Republicans and Conservatives and Liberals and Abortionists and Pro-Life and...I could go on forever it seems...never bring us closer together. It doesn't even seem like that is their mission. There seems to be more desire to divide people on issues that they can't possibly agree on. For example, the issue of marijuana. Some people think you should be allowed to smoke marijuana. Others think you shouldn't allow it. Imagine we interviewed a thousand people and it came up as 500 on each side of the issue. Ten years later...after each person on each side of the issue had been bombarded by memes and "facts" and pressure...how many of them would have switched sides? My guess...my educated hunch...is zero.
The problem seems to be that we have divided down to a micro level. Instead of being Americans who strive to work together to build a better America, we have become specific issue agents who hang onto our beliefs regardless of what anybody says or does. To solve this we need to widen our gaze. Instead of looking at what divides us (politicians do this to pander to our worst attributes) we should look at what brings us together. Is there world hunger? Does anybody really think it is a bad thing that we strive to end it? Then let's work on that! Is it good to have low unemployment? Is it good to have well functioning schools with good parental support? Is it good to give everyone equal opportunities? There are thousands and thousands of things that we could work on together. We don't have to be always be divided. We can be united.
My thought, after all of this, is that I am working hard to find common ground with people. I don't agree with a lot of things people say and do. Instead of focusing on that, I am making a concerted effort to find out what I do agree with them on...and focus on that with them. I don't think that it could ever be wrong to listen to people and value their thoughts, even if you don't agree with what they say!
I know that this was a departure from my normal, sarcastic self. I will try to be back next week. Peace to you all!
Peace!
ReplyDeleteGood points. Let us unfriend negativity.
ReplyDelete