Before Posting; How About Thinking?

As another big news story becomes the topic of the day, social media posts explode to life.  Each one attempting to be more provocative than the last.  Memes, slogans and emphatic statements seem to be growing in intensity.  So is this just a twenty first century version of the office water cooler or something different?   

Social media provides a kind of anonymity that turns off our internal filters which historically produced civility.  We appear to be past that now.  Many of our friends on the left and right are opting to post the most divisive kinds of rhetoric.  Declarations of absolutism litter the sites that were once intended for sharing of stories and discussion.  Dialogue is now considered a capitulation to the opposing view.  It's as if the poster is daring readers to comment.  However, in response to a reply that challenges an assertion, they then unfriend or unfollow the person only to make another post about their high standards that warranted unfriending that person.

It doesn't take long for dogmatic tweets and posts to appear after a news cycle begins.  When a post does not receive the likes or shares some think it should, then come the sweeping generalizations that imply those who don't take a Facebook or Twitter stand are the problem.  This is a myopic conclusion brought about by contrived indignation.  Such an embrace of emotionalism yields an abandonment of rational disagreement. That tends to build walls instead of bridging gaps.   

The manifestation of these trends indicates that our society has become hyper-sensitive and have an increasingly difficult time coping with differing viewpoints. Political, philosophical and theological disagreements are nothing new, but this growing tribalism degrades the ability for any common ground.  A high percentage of these posts are simply emotional drivel and are not based on logic or reason.  That may sound harsh but when we unfriend someone because they dared to express opposition, that's a fair indicator that rational thought was not the ruling principle before they hit the "delete" key. The more impassioned we humans become, the more likely we are to say things we might regret. 

Do we really believe that our social media presence will change the hearts and minds of those who do not happen to share our convictions?  An over-simplified statement on a complex multi-faceted issue actually indicates a lack of intellectual rigor; not unprecedented genius.  Most readers won't even press the "more" button on longer posts and replies because our attention span has evolved to 140 characters.  The resulting conclusion is that the poster either believes they are making an impact, or they are arrogantly delusional that they have ascended to an individually defined moral high ground. These self-professed prophets and moral arbiters too frequently emote an irrational conclusion without first establishing a consistent foundational premise.

A one-liner can never encompass all arguments for or against a long-established perspective.  It only offers up a steady stream of confirmation bias.  Many simply cannot resist the urge to share a regurgitated meme so that others will realize just how smart they are.  It's a manifestation of the growing narcissism in our culture.  

As we succumb to a world that discourages honest and open dialogue in all areas of controversy, we will likely become more vulnerable to eroding freedoms.  Tolerance of differences is routinely touted but rarely is expressed in the extreme nature of how we communicate with those around us.  In the end, social media will cease to be social.

An Open Letter To Jimmy Fallon

Mr. Fallon

Late night TV has been a part of American culture for decades. As millions watched, it routinely allowed us to take a breath from the seriousness of life. No matter if there was war, tragedy or celebration, we could all count on faithful late nights hosts for a light-hearted way to end our day.

This appears to be a nostalgic look back. The divisiveness in our country has now swept so far into culture, even our beloved late shows have morphed into political soap boxes. Humor in opening monologues now takes a back seat to grandiose speeches about inequity and injustice, complete with tears and emotional outrage. This sadly had become the case for most late night programming except for the Tonight Show. You were the remaining bright spot of late night.

Well, that ended the other evening when you chose to make an impassioned political diatribe regarding the recent tragic massacre in Florida. Please understand it is absolutely your right and privilege to voice your opinion but the Tonight Show is not the platform. Your personal politics do not shock me as I would have assumed your position correctly, but I and most viewers do not tune you in for political op-ed pieces. If people want expertise and towering intellect on complex issues, a late night show is not where they will seek it out.

This may come as a surprise, but viewers don’t want to be lectured, ridiculed, insulted, nor do they want to see emotional diatribes about hot button issues, regardless if they support or oppose them. We simply want to relax, get in a laugh or two and end the day with a smile. It appears that option is gone.  

Thank you for the memories of what you used to be. It’s time to find a new way to wind down before bed.