A Whole New World

A Whole New World. 🌍

At first glance, I definitely see Aladdin, flying on the magic carpet with Jasmine, with this song playing in the background… Can you see it and hear it???

🎼 👁🎵 👂🏽🎶 🧞‍♂️🎼

Good ol’ Disney movies. 😍

And then…..

The title makes me think of life now: 🎶 “…a whole new social-media-driven woooorld….🎵 My revised lyrics that alludes to the world today. Catchy, isn’t it?? 😁

So, I get that social media has actually been around for over two decades now – – slowly getting started at the end of the 1990’s – – and then it grew from there, from a slow-and-steady trickle…..to a TNT-exploding frenzy of SOCIAL MEDIA EVERYWHERE!!! 💥💥💥

And yes, now in 2020, we are most certainly on the ULTRA DYNAMITE PHASE of the social media/technology spectrum, where their adverse and debilitating effects on us as human beings are starting to overshadow and override many of the positive and beneficial features that they provide. And they are only getting MORE intense, MORE nosy, MORE addictive, and MORE involved in our lives as we go.

Seriously, think about how it really runs our LIVES – – or tries reeeeeeally hard to do this – – let alone how it runs the entire world! It’s as if the next phase of technology and social media includes overpowering our senses, brainwashing our minds, asserting a level of dominance that is beyond our comprehension, and further disconnecting us from our fellow humans, from living creatures, from nature, from science, and from actual facts that are unarguable and just ARE. (Like 1+1=2. And that gravity is the reason that things fall down. They are FACT. No opinions or conspiracy theories needed). The overbearing, overstimulating, and constant taunting of technology and social media may very well be right around the corner.

OR……………?????????

Have we already begun our initial nose-dive descent into this next highly-invasive phase? Are we already there and we haven’t fully realized it yet??

There is something that I believe every single person on this planet needs to see. It is found on Netflix and it is a documentary called “Social Dilemma.” It is freaky-eerie, skin-crawly-creepy, brick-to-the-face-informative, shocking-like-WHOA-and-WTF, and it answers hidden questions that perhaps you never even thought to ask or even inquire about in the first place. “Social Dilemma” speaks on the topic of technology and social media and how they are seriously and dangerously impacting our lives and what is to come of our future. I believe the words IMPENDING DOOM were said in this documentary….😫

But before you brush this off as overdramatic, see it as potential fake news, or deny that this controversial topic could be a real threat, let’s just look at a few examples of how technology is in control of us…and not the other way around. I’m sure that you have already witnessed this yourself, most likely many, many times, especially for those of you that have smart phones, computers, the devices in-between smart phones and computers, and those that are involved in any type of social media. So, this accounts for billions of people on planet earth, including you and me.

Okay, so, have you ever searched for some random item on Google, Pinterest, Etsy, EBay, or any other site AND THEN an ad for that random item or something similar coincidentally shows up – – – as you continue spending time online or maybe the next time that you get on your phone? OR maybe you’re scrolling through Facebook, Twitter, or another platform and you notice an ad that pertains to a conversation that you were just having?? Wow, that timing was exceptional! How did my phone KNOW that I was LITERALLY just talking about a trip to the Bahamas and here are ads for Expedia, swimwear, and a resort at the Bahamas?!?!? 😯

Yup, an interesting “coincidence”…… (and maybe your phone is listening to you. Like Siri and Alexa…cuz they are).

Or what about the GPS on your phone. Let’s say that every Tuesday you go to the same place at 5pm every week. Have you ever noticed that your very helpful phone or device learns your schedule and, as you are about to drive to said location at 4:45pm, it alerts you that “your destination is 15 minutes away.” Not only that, but it might have the name of the person you’re meeting, the address of the location, and the GPS directions for you to use….only you have NEVER needed to use the GPS to get to this particular location, which means that you never actually typed the address into your phone. The phone just seems to know where you are going, like down to the exact address, and it even knows who you are meeting, even if you don’t remember ever typing that person’s name in anywhere. So, how is that possible…..🤔

Hmmmm, maybe you texted someone that you were meeting Sally for her tutoring session at 5pm and your phone was able to connect that text message to your drive every Tuesday and form it’s own conclusion??? 😧

I mean, our devices are certainly VERY familiar with our routines, the places we go, the people we text and message on THESE VERY DEVICES…and remember our phones are keeping tabs on every single thing that we do when we’re on our phones and when our phones are near.

SMART phones, indeed.

Or perhaps you haven’t checked your phone in an hour or so and all of a sudden you get a ping from a notice, (or two or ten…) alerting you to a new email, a fresh post written by a friend, or even a reminder that you are getting noticed on LinkedIn or that a contact just ‘liked’ your last Instagram post….So, you go to your phone, check it out, read the email, reply to the comment on your social media, and spend just a little more time scoping out what people are up to on all the platforms.

How lovely that our phones notify us of new emails and messages when they happen, isn’t it??

Only, that’s not exactly what is happening.

All of these scenarios are not happenstance, mistakes, or the spookiest perfectly-timed occurrences that just appear randomly. Like:

“Look at that!!! I was just searching for new jeans and here is an ad for this cool site that sells jeans!! Let me check it out!”

Ohhhh, there is no coincidence and no random acts happening here.

Rather, these are all features of the technology that we own and love. Our technology is designed to vie for our attention, to learn our likes and dislikes, and to follow and record our every move. Yes, no joke. Every single time we are on our phones, we are being timed. How long we are on Google, Facebook, Twitter, shopping for those jeans…It is programmed with Artificial Intelligence to pay the kind of attention to us that is waaaaay too close for comfort. And the example about the notifications that happen if you haven’t touched your phone for a bit? Well, that happens as a reminder from your phone that it has been an hour or two since you’ve used your phone and that you should remedy that. Again, it is a feature that is programmed into your phone to entice you to check your phone and hopefully get back online.

I assure you. You need to take the time to watch this documentary because it may very well 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯!!!!!!! It DEFINITELY blew my mind.🧠💥

See, with social media, the internet, and the technology and devices that make it possible to explore both, WE are the experiment and WE are the product.

We are the experiment because we are constantly being evaluated and reevaluated, to see what draws our attention, what topics keep us searching for more, which people on social media do we gravitate towards, and what alerts/notifications/articles/ads make us curious enough to stay online a little longer each time. Then all of those things start showing up because our devices are taught to learn everything that they can about us. And if something sticks and we take the bait, you best be believing that it will continue to show up over and over again, to keep us coming back for more.

AND we are the product because it all comes down to the ads for profit. The longer we stay online, the more ads that we are sure to see, and the more money those companies are sure to make. Explaining why the whole purpose behind the Artificial Intelligence of our Smart phones and devices is to find any and all the ways that influence us to get online and stay online – – through all the platform avenues, alerts, GPS tracking, notifications, pings, likes and comments from people, and the instant gratification that is social media.

It’s like we are being controlled by our phones and devices, which are miniature versions of ourselves that are learning every minute how our own individual brain works. And just like Pavlov’s dog experiment, when our phone beeps or whistles at us, we tend to come running. Or it’s already attached to our hip or in hand so we can check it every five minutes if we wanted.

“Social Dilemma” does an extraordinary job of explaining how the original purpose of technology and social media has been continuously morphing into something treacherous and more alarming over the years. What originally started as a mode of connection, convenience, and communication to reach people all over the world, has revealed a much darker and sinister side created by this tsunami-like wave of social media and technology. It’s incredible and terrifying how it impacts the psyche, the emotions, and the beliefs of those of us that use it. And many of us use it daily, if not hourly, especially children and young adults.

For one major issue, it has been contributing immensely to depression and an increasing rate of suicides and self-harm, year after year. Exposure to graphic content, searching for approval and worthiness through social media platforms, and cyberbullying are very real perils and they should not be taken lightly.

Then, there are the hours upon hours (upon hours…) spent on phones and devices that are leading to rapid increases in chronic pain, disease, and less mobile beings, especially in our younger population, because we’ve become so sedentary as a species. Blatantly speaking, without movement, we die. It truly is that simple because our bodies require movement in order to function properly. So, when we see children on phones for hours every day, rather than running and playing outside, that is a prime example of how technology and social media are adding to our demise. By infiltrating the attention, curiosity, and the lives of our children and young adults. Although, every age is affected by this more sedentary lifestyle, largely due to technological conveniences and, of course, social media.

Furthermore, as much as phones and technology connect us on social media platforms, where we can message, chat, comment, like, and feel included in people’s lives that we do or do not even know, it also has this detrimental effect on society and interaction as a whole. Speaking with someone on the phone, let alone face-to-face, has become uncomfortable, avoided, rare, and so far removed from our lives. Even before COVID hit the planet. Why call someone if I can just text them, right?? Well, without really speaking to someone, hearing their tone, seeing their expression, and reading their body language, it has become commonplace for miscommunications, assumptions, and conflict to ensue because texts and messages can’t convey the whole story. Even if we use every emoji that we have in our arsenal to be as clear and articulate as possible.

We are starting to lose out on really connecting with other people, seeing our humanity in other beings, finding common ground, appreciating our differences, practicing empathy, really listening to each other, and striving to understand what we don’t know and WHO we don’t know. AND the struggle is real to find the truth in current events, the media, and what we find online.

And this brings me to the United States Election 2020 that is in the process of being tallied as we speak. As in, RIGHT NOW.

Let me just say, times are BEYOND STRESSFUL. And this election is about so much more than politics and policies. It is about humanity, science, fighting to stop the COVID pandemic, healthcare, fighting systemic racism, supporting equal and equitable rights for BIPOC and the LGBTQ communities, fighting for equality and upholding women’s rights, choosing people’s LIVES over money and power, and moving in the direction that takes all of these important topics into prime consideration.

This election is for the candidate that we feel has the best leadership skills, the heart, and the compassion for everyone that lives in the United States regardless of race, orientation, disabilities, or political party affiliation. The man that speaks with intelligence and who has the experience, the knowledge, the vision, and the plan to move towards a more safe and united America for all of its inhabitants.

Maybe some of you know which candidate I voted for, just by saying these things. Those of you that know me certainly know which candidate I feel can best do the things mentioned above. HOWEVER, after seeing “Social Dilemma,” it brought a lot of light to how people can read the above words and believe that I could be talking about either Trump or Biden. Since both men have VERY different behaviors, morals, agendas, and personas.

Remember how I said that your phone is paying attention? Well, it is also fully aware of the area that you live and whether you and your town/community supports Trump, Biden, conspiracy theories, and/or everything in-between. And since the purpose of our devices, once again, is to keep us online, would you really be surprised that many people are only hearing about their interests and only one side of the coin?? Artificial Intelligence does that, too. It picks and chooses what we see and when we see it. It selects the articles that it believes we want to see and many times, nothing else unless we choose to keep looking.

So, unless we are willing to question what we see and keep searching for what is actually true, we tend to take things at face value. Especially because when Google tells us what we want to hear, we feel good and we feel right and we feel validated. Which makes it nearly impossible to WANT to look for another answer or another viewpoint because that would mean that we were wrong or mistaken. And then perhaps we would have to reevaluate our original understanding of the topic at hand, which takes more effort than perhaps some people would like to do.

“People listen and take in the information that they want to hear rather than the information that they don’t want to hear.” Spoken by Dr. Tali Sharot, a Neuroscientist at University College London, at a Tedx Talk 6 years ago. Which means that even if one were to believe a falsity and then hear the actual truth, that person would have a very hard time of letting go of that falsity. They would rather feel right then know and acknowledge what is right.

This is why social media and technology are said to be leading all of us to impending doom. Because some of us have this insatiable need to be right. And Google and Artificial Intelligence is at our fingertips to provide the material that makes us “right” about our own viewpoints. The truth is no longer sought after because we all feel like we’ve found it already. Because we’ve “researched” it, AKA looked at the first page that Google gave us or we went down the rabbit hole of YouTube, and we found everything that we knew to be true!!! Only, it is a smokescreen designed to keep us online, not to provide us with facts and the truth.

Artificial Intelligence has no idea what the word “truth” means and it takes all of its cues from us and from our searches. It provides articles that aren’t fact-checked and stories that aren’t real because it knows that when it does, we keep reading and talking about it and spending more time on social media defending our views, as twisted and distorted as they might be. To us, this is all we see and hear so why would we NOT believe that we know the truth of what is going on? When in actuality, we aren’t getting anything close to the truth because our own Artificial Intelligence is leading us astray based on our own version of current events and topics. And like-minded people stick with like-minded people, making it even harder to adopt a new mindset even when a truth is proven beyond the shadow of a doubt.

With the civil unrest, the divisiveness, and the racial injustice in our country as well as with the Election 2020 winner on countdown, things are chaotic, heartbreaking, confusing, and insane with no stopping in sight. And technology and social media are leading the way. Like Mark Twain once said, “A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.” Only now, lies and half-truths can spread even faster than that.

What would it take to have the blinders come off and for the truth to be sought after, no matter what, for all of us in the grand USA? I have no idea!! Though the “Social Dilemma” documentary suggested how imperative it is to have regulations placed on social media and somehow change the selective articles and media so that people’s available information is less restrictive. That sounds like a great start to me!!! Who knows if it will actually happen…

This is what I think. Please watch “Social Dilemma” with an open mind and consider how much technology and social media are affecting your life, wherever you are in the world. Then, always ask questions when it comes to media coverage in your area, news on Google, and hearsay from people you know. Find the facts, as in the TRUTH, as best as you can and always keep the information from “Social Dilemma” in mind because it’s only going to grow from here.

When it comes to people and things that we fear, strive for understanding rather than avoidance, stereotypes, or biased judgments.

AND:

Wise words from Marie Curie and Rocks of Unity that I believe correlate very well to how social media and technology have influenced our world today. It’s so important to understand more and fear less, though our limited exposure tends to halt understanding so our fear grows stronger. And the true character of a person comes out in their actions even if their words do not match. Actions always speak louder than words.

And my fingers, toes, legs, and eyes are crossed for the very best Election 2020 outcome for the United States of America and for every being that lives here.

And who knows where our Whole New Media-Driven World will go from here??Being aware is always the first step. So, please don’t skip Step One. 😉 🌎