Social Media Is the Problem

No social media, no collapse of American public life.

Quote:

Let’s take a short walk down memory lane. It’s 1995. A man stands on a busy street corner yelling vaguely incoherent things at the passersby. He’s holding a placard that says “THE END IS NIGH. REPENT.” You come upon this guy while out getting the paper. How do you feel about him? You might feel some flavor of annoyance. Most people would also feel compassion for him as he is clearly suffering from something. No reasonable person would think of convincing this man that his point of view is incorrect. This isn’t an opportunity for an engaging debate. This guy doesn’t kill at parties. This guy doesn’t go to parties. He’s only out here because he’s not violent and there’s no room for him at Bellevue. Now fast forward to 2020. In terms of who this guy is and who you are absolutely nothing has changed. And yet here you are—arguing with him on Twitter or Facebook. And you, yourself, are being brought to the brink of insanity. But you can’t seem to stop. You have to respond or read the comments of the other people responding and your cortisol and adrenaline levels are spiking and your blood pressure is rising and you’re suddenly at risk of a heart attack. And the ugly truth is that you’ve become addicted to arguing with the “End Is Nigh” sandwich board guy. The guy you used to quietly skirt, you now seek him out and you bring your friends and for some idiotic reason you think that if you just post a little bit more you’re going to get him to see reason. Or put him in his place. Or maybe you don’t even know why you’re doing it. But you can’t stop, won’t stop.

Please read the entire article. It only takes a few minutes. He is saying things that I've been saying for years, and more. And I'm convinced he's absolutely right. The way out of this mess is for "normal" people to stop giving Zuckerberg and others the financial incentive to provide the worldwide soapbox for idiots. Abandon social media.

via International Skeptics Forum https://ift.tt/2BQkngb