Some cultures view disease not as a disorder of the body caused by viruses or microorganisms but as an illness in the community. An objective of healing is to bring the communal body back to health. Rites and rituals are used to bring about a reconciliation of the fabric of society as well as to heal the individual.
Recently I’ve begun to think of this in reverse—popular trends, technologies, and media causing dis-ease, confusion, and turmoil in the communal body. The hook that brings people in is the promise to inform, communicate, and channel the community in specific ways.
More and more, these technologies, media, and trends are becoming disruptive. It’s a phenomenon as old as the Industrial Revolution- we invent new technologies and revel in the potential good of their application but fail to invest in any study of the unintended consequences.
Instead of taking responsibility for the Franenstein’s Monsters they have created, the innovators shrug their shoulders, walk off, and live in wealth. They are not responsible for the fracas that was created. People simply abuse great tools for petty ends.
That argument makes some sense, as much as I dislike it. The old advisement that we are responsible for our actions comes to mind. And after all, if we can’t control our addictive habits for junk food, alcohol, tobacco, and drugs, how can we be expected to curb our motor mouths on social media?
Guess what I’d change in our society? And banning social media is not it because it is not the problem.
This reminds me of an old boss I had who forbade our department from bringing in food for birthday celebrations. Why? Because she could not stop eating. Responsibility? She was the boss, dammit! It was our responsibility to listen to her.
Seems like an ingrained problem, as I sometimes say, something in our “hardware” that cannot be simply erased or reset.
I went through the comments on the Reader to write a comment, it worked!! Thank you for the tip, Lou!
no problem, you’d think WP would fix such an obvious bug/.
I think what we see now via social media is akin to ambulance chasing or waiting for hours to see someone’s head cut off by the guillotine or hung.
Your example of the public execution is apt. It’s the same sort of public spectacle, but now it’s participatory. An you can figuratively lynch people you dislike easily.
A wonderful read!
I totally agree with you. Addiction is the problem while social media merely is a medium, a blessing or a curse depending on how a person is using the technology.