We are manipulated to consume content endlessly. And content is curated such that it is acceptable to advertisers. But, on the whole, we are being shown what we want to see. Technology is increasingly able to instantaneously give us more of what we want.
This is increasingly forcing us to face the fact that it is not forces outside of ourselves that are manipulating us in ways that make us unhappy, but our own deranged desires that make us unhappy.
Before technology granted us the ability to instantaneously gratify our desires, we could point to external conditions that prevented us from realizing what we thought would make us happy. But now we are getting what we want instantaneously.
We must first get what we want before we can realize that it didn't work. Only then can we learn to desire something else. It's a perversely good thing that social media is "causing" problems. Social media is less a cause than an effect of our own desires. Social media isn't a "bad" thing to be avoided; it's a mirror that reflects back to us what we are. It would, of course, be better to learn from joy instead of suffering, but both are effective.
Zooming out to consider the overall themes of the content suggested to us is useful. Much of what I find in my own feed are themes of war, negative judgments of various kinds, "entity X is screwing over the public," over-dramatized conflict scenes from movies, accusations of ill intent, competition, partisanship, us-versus-them, and various other nonsense. It tends to be ego-validating. Opening a private tab generally shows more edifying content, albeit lower IQ, than what I see in my feed.
I "deserve" this. It's what I wanted. How can I pretend that I don't want the effects of the causes that I have desired and chosen? Or how can I seriously claim to want effects that I don't want the causes of?
Thank you for reading and engaging! I think you are pointing out an interesting contradiction - however, I have a more positive view of human nature. Just because I am angry at the person who is walking in front of me, it doesn't mean that I'll dropkick them - and not just because I'm afraid of jail but also because that's not the kind of person I want to be. Social media, however, I think feeds on these base instincts and capitalises on them, and even more perversly, later manufactures these desires as opposed to 'higher' ones. You can appreciate boobs, but you linger one second longer on boob-content on IG, and bam, you have nothing but boobs. That wasn't a conscious decision and personally I hope that I am more than my basest desires. Thank you again for your thoughtful comment and addition!
We are manipulated to consume content endlessly. And content is curated such that it is acceptable to advertisers. But, on the whole, we are being shown what we want to see. Technology is increasingly able to instantaneously give us more of what we want.
This is increasingly forcing us to face the fact that it is not forces outside of ourselves that are manipulating us in ways that make us unhappy, but our own deranged desires that make us unhappy.
Before technology granted us the ability to instantaneously gratify our desires, we could point to external conditions that prevented us from realizing what we thought would make us happy. But now we are getting what we want instantaneously.
We must first get what we want before we can realize that it didn't work. Only then can we learn to desire something else. It's a perversely good thing that social media is "causing" problems. Social media is less a cause than an effect of our own desires. Social media isn't a "bad" thing to be avoided; it's a mirror that reflects back to us what we are. It would, of course, be better to learn from joy instead of suffering, but both are effective.
Zooming out to consider the overall themes of the content suggested to us is useful. Much of what I find in my own feed are themes of war, negative judgments of various kinds, "entity X is screwing over the public," over-dramatized conflict scenes from movies, accusations of ill intent, competition, partisanship, us-versus-them, and various other nonsense. It tends to be ego-validating. Opening a private tab generally shows more edifying content, albeit lower IQ, than what I see in my feed.
I "deserve" this. It's what I wanted. How can I pretend that I don't want the effects of the causes that I have desired and chosen? Or how can I seriously claim to want effects that I don't want the causes of?
Thank you for reading and engaging! I think you are pointing out an interesting contradiction - however, I have a more positive view of human nature. Just because I am angry at the person who is walking in front of me, it doesn't mean that I'll dropkick them - and not just because I'm afraid of jail but also because that's not the kind of person I want to be. Social media, however, I think feeds on these base instincts and capitalises on them, and even more perversly, later manufactures these desires as opposed to 'higher' ones. You can appreciate boobs, but you linger one second longer on boob-content on IG, and bam, you have nothing but boobs. That wasn't a conscious decision and personally I hope that I am more than my basest desires. Thank you again for your thoughtful comment and addition!
Wonderful post!
Thank you so much!