When I first started this site, many people suggested I develop an Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter account feed for this website. That seems to be SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) for most websites, but I have many reservations about these social media sites, and after much thought, I did not believe it was a good thing for me, and on balance, it is my view that social media is doing more harm than good. Look at how, over the last few years, social media companies have been actively censoring some content, yet allowing seemingly outrageous, and/or abusive, content to continue without any restrictions. Also, how about all the cyberbullying going on.
Then there is the issue of people doing stupid or shocking things, on social media, just to get attention. This is the modern day equivalent of Jay Gatsby, not in the 1920’s, but now in the 2020’s, throwing elaborate parties (nowadays doing any attention grabbing activity, like eating Tide PODS®), in the quest for attention by others — “Gatsbying.” Quoting Andy Warhol,“[i]n the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes,” so here we are, with Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc., posting content, in pursuit of fame, attention, and in some cases, fortune.
Marshall McLuhan, famously said “[t]he medium is the the message,” and I have always taken that observation to mean the content that is transmitted (like a TV show), is generally less impactful than how the content is transmitted, e.g., broadcasting TV. With social media, the real power is the instant global reach of the social media sites, and the concept of trends, which people can easily follow what others find appealing. This can allow a small minority of people to broadcast an agenda, which can be quickly disbursed, and followed by others. It can snowball, without any objective real scrutiny, with people, companies, and politicians reacting the squeaking wheel of a minority, to the detriment to real needs and concerns of the majority.
Yes, it is cool to be able to find out what has happened to a long lost friend, but I believe the overall downside of social media is not worth it, so I continue not to participate. And if you wonder, how this site differs from social media, I would say this site is more like a traditional book, transmitting information for the enjoyment or benefit for others, not to promote my self-importance.