I can’t imagine any of us happy with the level of craziness going on in the world today. And, I’ll bet you’re not uncomfortable with me saying much of what’s amped all this up is social media.
My friend and fellow audiophile, Seth Godin, wrote a great post today, in his daily posts, that I wanted to share.
When the internet was young, people often chose to filter themselves online. We didn’t know who was on the other end of the pipe, and we knew it would be there forever. And typing feels more permanent and official than speaking…
Over time, the algorithms rewarded people who were guttural, hurtful, profane and, to use an overused and inefficient word, “authentic.” And so it flipped.
Now, social media is filled with amped-up rants that pretend to be unfiltered, and the standard for discourse is quickly eroding. There’s plenty of data to confirm that we’re spewing words and ideas that would never be tolerated in person, with friends.
Why should our standard for public behavior be lower than it is for the people we know?
Unfiltered doesn’t mean real. Because it’s our filters that make us who we are.
Thanks much for sharing Paul. Bumping this back to the top I also wonder if folks who knew life before the internet, at least those not making a living driving wedges on the internet, typically behave differently than those that didn’t.
I agree, and it’s something worth thinking about. The internet didn’t really make us more honest—it just made the loudest and angriest voices easier to hear. A lot of what people call “unfiltered” is really just saying things without stopping to think.
Filters aren’t a bad thing. They help us be kind, clear, and respectful. Most of us wouldn’t talk to friends or strangers face to face the way people talk online. So it makes sense to ask why we should accept that behavior on social media.
Being real doesn’t mean saying everything that pops into our heads. Often, it means choosing our words carefully.
There is also a high level of negativity on the internet, that didn’t exist before. Most of it is generated for effect and/or attention. Very little of it is genuine. A few squeaky wheels makes it seem like “it’s everyone!”
It’s not just the internet that’s unfiltered and divisive. It’s also corporate media, broadcast and print, that makes their living giving what uncurious tribal members want. And the more distorted and divisive it is, the more their consumers are nourished by it. With little or no curiosity.
Men AND women seem to be so proud of their middle fingers lately. They show it to strangers with peculiar regularity. Look! Look at my middle finger! Are you looking? I’ll put it right up to my windshield. Can you see it now?
I remember reading an account of what happened when the original and most famous social media site arrived in Nepal. The king of Nepal desires to coax Nepalese government into more modern democratic form and ease away from the monarchy dictating everything. The initiative to have local democratic elections coincided with the introduction of F**book into their society. Suddenly there was widespread erosion of trust, cooperation, and cordiality among citizens as the influence of face to face interactions were superseded by social media’s influence. There were widespread wishes for a return to there old ways so that social harmony could be restored.
AI’s ability to generate a constant stream of misinformation, rancor, and false imagery and social media’s constant stream of terrible online behavior and speech is creating a near perfect environment for eradicating social cohesion and constructive compromise.
Thank you for posting this, Paul. I know someone who is going through a difficult time right now caused by this social media stuff. I have shared it with them in the hope that it will help.
Thanks, that’s all we can hope for. The thing is it’s come down to having to be mean and nasty to stand out. Sad but true and would someone say that to your face? Likely not. Good luck and thanks for caring.
I try to not be mean and nasty though I’ve been on the receiving end. But what makes me angry is what is really going on more than how others talk. I try to highlight the injustice and damage as fitting and as politely as possible.
I have waited a bit to respond so that my comment is generic rather than assumed to be aimed at anyone specifically.
I am often dismayed at the negative and demeaning comments directed at PS Audio and Paul. Snide, cheap shots get us nowhere and are uncalled for. We complain how poorly people treat each other and then engage in exactly the same behavior here.
Come on, people. Review what you’re posting and with a critical eye edit out the negative attacks.
