A factor of the COVID-19 pandemic, a legacy of social media and the Internet? Is our world becoming increasingly populated by angry, aggressive, and assertive people who seem to be independent-minded rather than willing to compromise and co-exist with others?
Anger everywhere
Everywhere angry masses protest this issue, promote that cause, but always criticizing. Fewer and fewer people seem to be smiling with any kind of joy or happiness. Even late-night TV hosts, the pied pipers of comedy and laughter, struggle to find humour in our current world. Some even become champions of overt politicization. A prime example, Stephen Colbert’s Late Show’s avoidance of further use of the full name Trump. Instead, “T****” is substituted for Trump’s full name in the show’s graphics which might defeat the original intent behind the process.
Truth is inconsequential
The world is becoming increasingly populated by people who seem to be contrary, opponents of this issue or that one. No longer willing to consider the view of the other side, nihilists who discard facts eschewing evidence-based information. Instead, they adhere to falsehoods with no apprehension, no hesitation, and no analytical consideration. Their stance is the only one, true or not?
What has happened to debate and intellectual discussion where each side voiced its views for consideration by the other side? What happened to people acting like thinking individuals rather than being ‘sheeple’ or blind lemmings? Today citizens seem to accept the dark word of the loudest, most articulate spokesperson without analysis, logical evaluation or questioning consideration. If she broadcasts in the media saying, “BLAH BLAH BLAH;” well, then, ‘blah, blah, blah’ must be so and support for that narrowed thinking grows simply because it was broadcast somewhere.
How did we get here?
How did we get to this world where the first reaction is to become emotional, followed by deep support for the loudest, most articulate, most bombastic spokesperson without thought or analysis?
Social media to blame?
Could the Internet or Social Media be to blame? Facebook has proponents for every cause but too often, if it is seen on Facebook it is seen as ‘the truth.’, Facebook CEO Zuckerberg has seen the danger of this momentum, taking down hate speech and removing blatant false postings. Even the American president’s latest Tweets have been removed for being outright lies and falsehoods.
Finding blame has no effect
The disintegration of societal norms continues. The gentler speakers cast aside as liars and traitors. Proponents of good causes lacking in strong, bombastic flare and volume a la Trump are buried by the arrogant, aggressive pomposity of the more voluminous bullies.
The intellectuality of the past, extinct like the dodo
Where are the questioning minds of the past, the minds that examined an argument, analyzed it, evaluated it? The minds that would question what they were hearing before they accepting any aspect of it. Have these minds been completely crushed by the weight of social media, by Facebook, Twitter, Instagram? Perhaps these non-questioners have always been part of our social spectrum but now have greater visibility because our media is so much bigger. TV is everywhere, so too social media. Inescapable. Bigger protest signs, larger crowds, more vociferous mobs and all broadcast on the news immediately. All made worse by more offensive language, great disrespect for public figures, diminishing regard for authorities and institutions.
Rushing to the bottom
Are we rushing headlong to the bottom, speedily downward, with decreased respect for the previously revered offices, authority figures and institutions of the past? Is this where we want to go? Is this the new world we want? Is this the new norm?
Where do you stand?
Where do you stand? United and supportive of the nihilistic destruction of what was once great? Or promoting and encouraging evaluation, compromise and the possibility of accepting uncomfortable truths?
The days of blind Trumpism should end, don’t you agree?
