Introduction (rough)

Setting the stage for exploring what social media is, and what it means to me

Introduction:

Social media, at its inception in the late 90’s & early 2000’s, was slowly beginning to infiltrate into homes around the world. People were connecting in ways and at speeds unprecedented in history. Entire governments began to see their infrastructure rebuilt & reflected in a completely digital format. Lives were transforming; it seemed like the future was here, now. Then, something happened. A sinister force began emerging. One not a part of the revolution. Organizations, institutions & once again those loving governments started nosing into & through the systems. People started talking to agencies like they were on equal footing with their contemporaries. Said contemporaries didn’t respond well. People’s opinions, thoughts & beliefs were put to trial (some literally, most figuratively) by agencies that had signed up the same way we had. Then the fall became a trainwreck. The organizations which run our external lives already basically bought out the giant players in the burgeoning social media milieu. One in particular, Facebook, the one I’ve seen carries the most promise in its style & format, was growing a nasty leash. Leashed by the old money of the world. Old money that knew how to fight dirty (hell, probably refined the concept into an art).

            Now, to bring it to a personal level. I’m socially awkward. I miss cues that most notice or get hung up on; even in a digital format. I also consider myself a bit of an upstart. I like to rattle people’s cages. Certainly not in any really harmful way: i.e. using people’s culture, principles, even their morality as some sort of weapon or plaything, but in ways that certainly brush up against those issues/topics. More importantly however, is the way these interactions carry over to the earlier mentioned emergence & presence of said hierarchical institutions like big business, big anything, that slowly strip a human being away from that interpersonal level of genuine sharing of feelings & communication. Strip us away from a relationship of unpretentious honesty, but without some quasi/proto religiospiritual, philosophical or even the scientific rigmarole which tries to cultivate the separation of a man or woman from the essential dignity of being naked, alone, afraid. Being at a profoundly humble level; without the charm & glitz of glamour labels, which seductively convince 99.9% of the population that it’s their only salvation, their ticket to freedom. Doesn’t that relationship seem starkly contrasted to the one which offers “casual Fridays”, or “severence benefits”? That’s the problem, in a nutshell.

            Now, do I hold hope for a solution? I do. I do, but probably not in a way I like. See, I’ve also become somewhat addicted to the dog that bites me when I feed it. I’ve gotten myself into a Facebook Tidal Storm.

            It may sound cheesy, may sound pathetic, depraved; but it’s real. I spend way too much time teasing around the Giants, pretending individuals I know outside of FB can or will read my posts, hoping the individuals I don’t know aren’t psychopaths, ghost accounts, or the Giants in clever disguises, pretending the information I absorb actually reaches past the juvenile, prepubescent, semi-reptilian filter, pretend I don’t have “click fever” which is a real thing (in my head) & finally pretend that I’m not losing touch. Losing touch with reality: my family, my wallet, my pets, my goddamn soul. The things that made me want to connect to more than my own self-importance, self-assured deceit, outright crazy bullshit & my essential hope in the Human Spirit.

            This work is going to be an exploration. I want, no I need, a solution to this growing problem. Foremost, I want to see the web actually hold a slab of meat, some substance. I’m tired of too many disguises. The pragmatist in me knows that to an extent, there is no complete cure to fakery, esp. online; does that mean I should give up entirely though? Absolutely not. Second, I’ve put myself in a delusional, nearly schizophrenic/psychotic frenzy with the bombastic ocean of (dis)information that is available & ready for my wandering click-fever to blithely leap into. Politics, occult & esoteric tailspins, nutjob memes, downright stupidity, the ever looming, ever watching, heightened vigilance of the police-state; there’s many deadfalls in the world of social media. Deadfalls laden with spikes & no rope to climb out of. I’ve fallen into these too many times to count; coming to a point where I can write this book has come at a heavy, nearly fatal price. I don’t want people getting into the same holes I’ve been into. Hopefully you picking up this book means you’ve avoided it by and large, but some of you may be or have been in a similar, stormy situation; let’s get the hell out of it, without abandoning the beauty & joy social media, particularly FB seems to promise. If we don’t, hey, at least we can have a few laughs & be a little wiser before the machine grinds us to cyber-pulp.

In order to get to a solution, we need the vision to identify the problem without creating more problems (which, has mostly been achieved), some of the problems with the problem (mentioned that too), & some way to actively experiment with the process. I don’t have the final piece; we’re going to have to tinker a bit here & reader: I need your help!

In order to be considered an experiment, we need a control & we need variables. My control is going to be a log; an active, ongoing, day-by-day breakdown of my interactions online-particularly FB, but I’ll explore other online commons: Youtube, I’ll open a Twitter account, MemeGenerator & even check out this crazy Tumblr thing I’ve tinkered with once or twice. From these platforms I’ll glean all my feelings: suspicions, hopes, joys, fears. Then, after I’ve compiled a respectable reflection in this log, I’ll posit some experiential methods: for instance, if I’m feeling fearful, I’ll steer away from the sources/interactions that are leading to my apprehension. If I’m feeling my news feed or my searches becoming cheesy or too comedic, I’ll search for more serious issues to devote my time & effort. Basically, my aim is to have a clear picture of what I’m doing, where I’m heading & what social media is actually contributing to my life. In order to survive the storm, I need portage. I need shelter. My careless flitting about, letting the news feed algorithms determine what I say & how I say it has to come to a halt. It’s not enough to let social media decide who I am, where I’m getting my views, information & entertainment from. It’s time to take back what is ours in the first place. 

            The problem is inherent to the solution. We need to begin to assemble weapons (or shields if that’s the direction you’re going), instruments of change that are simple, testable & effective.