There are actually a number of people who don't even know that TikTok was banned because that was a very short ban. Probably in the spirit of keeping things brief and to the point, kind of like how martial law was announced in South Korea some weeks ago... See, we don't even know the specific date because it was super short, but then again, a lot's been going on and we probably don't have time for games. I'm not trying to trick you into a political rant, though. I want to talk about the impact that social media has on entertainment and general news. Now that's something that we need to talk about, don't you think?
Social Media As a Library
It's easy to see how social media can be used as a library. That's because you can bookmark, save, download, remix, comment on, highlight, and do a lot of other things with content you find on various social sites online. The only problem with this is that if the creator takes down their creation, you may not be able to track any interaction you had with it. All the same, think about all the memes and vines we collected on Tumblr, Pinterest, etc. Would these all fit in your phone memory? Not really, but if you can long-press on something and literally put a pin on it, how much more wholesome and manageable does your life get?
Images, videos, audio, and all forms of content have a specific app that you can use depending on the experience that you'd like to have. The algorithm will help you fine-tune your feed and make sure that you only get what you're interested in. That's because what you interact with tends to be given preference over the rest of the content. It's easy to see why these platforms have us all in such a chokehold...
Social Media for Casual Entertainment
I know I'm not the only one who's come across a comment on the app of the day that goes something like "I no longer need TV since I got on TikTok." This may be a funny comment but it has some truth to it. Just think about it, when was the last time you actually felt energetic and driven enough to search for a movie or series to watch? And then actually sat down and watched it to the end? Social media is literally in the palm of your hands at all times of the day, so it's natural to assume that this will be the first stop for someone in need of some entertainment.
Our brains have also suffered significantly from the conditions of this hellscape that we live in, with a good part of the population running on about 5MB of memory. Try to get someone to commit to a form of entertainment that forces them to sit in one place for a significant length of time, and they're likely to rebel, especially if it's something consistent. Most of us will resist having to be tied down and opt for smaller packages of entertainment and information, which is pretty much what social media is for.
Social Media As a Tool of Information
This is an important use of these platforms to say the truth, but apparently, that's not what we should be using them for. I don't think it's necessary to talk about America's situation with TikTok, which was banned for a few hours and brought back when things started getting out of hand. It's back now, but the country that neighbors USB is complaining of HEAVY censorship. I get what they're mad about- I honestly would be too, what with the threats of getting X banned and more here at home. We've had more than our fair share of internet disturbances, so we know exactly what it's like when it happens.
Anyway, if something happens somewhere in the world, you can be sure that someone will upload it to one of the existing platforms. That's how a number of current and relevant news items are passed around, with evidence to boot. You just need to use hashtags or have a basic idea of what's going on and you'll find it somewhere online. It's just surprising to me that this was an unforeseen effect of social media. I mean, it's a lot easier to type some words, upload images or videos, and hit send than it is to light a fire and send smoke signals. What exactly did they expect when they let us have it? Let me know if you know...
Social Media for Life
Yea, I said it. I saw a comment from someone online who said we can't get off the internet because we are of the internet.
A good number of the people alive right now have never lived without the internet, so how and why are they to start struggling to find a way to live without the internet when it's all they've ever known, hmmm?
'Til next time, be mindful of your internet use and practice cyber security!
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