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TikTok, yah I am sure anyone that is reading my post is well aware of TikTok. I know that since this pandemic started and the introduction of TikTok, I have begun engaging a lot within Social Media outlets, besides TikTok, I like to browse Instagram, Facebook, and just recently Pinterest. To think how far we have come, the amount of information that is out there, whether it is good, bad, true, or false we are exposed to a lot of information. This makes it very difficult to know what to believe in and whether you read or see the information, I hope we all do a little research before jumping on a wagon, freaking out, judging others, or even going into a deep depression or anxiety attacks – I have seen it personally. Social media has left its marks, good and bad. Now, I am not saying that social media is bad, don’t get me wrong, and I cannot argue with those that believe social media helped them through this pandemic. Like I said it is good and bad in social media, I guess like in most media outlets, not just social media like TikTok, news, books, blogs, podcasts, and even music, what we hear and see comes at us in a wave of information.
I grew up when computers were not in every house, or cell phones did not exist. As a kid I grew up outside, sitting on my skateboard bombing a hill. Even as a teen, I had the Commodore Vic-20 Computer, made my games, and played lunar landing on it, but the internet still did not exist. “The Internet first came under widespread use in the United States in the 1990s” (Weegy). My college was done in person, on a piece of paper, and any projects I had to present were done by hand using household items. Not saying that my kids did not do a project or two by hand, but most of their presentations were done on PowerPoint or wait for Google Slides. Now, I might hit a nerve with some reader on my next statement, but Social media has brought to the attention of the masses the many awful things we see now, from racism to wrongful treatment of people – I don’t want to get specific here. The thing is I believe what we see on social media or the news has always been around. I think that social media has brought it out into the light, but I think it did it in the wrong way – I think social media acts like gasoline, fueling the anger in the masses. I am not saying that it is wrong to let it be known how society is, acting or whatever, but to be honest things haven’t changed since before social media.
Does anyone remember the Rodney King incident, “On March 3, 1991, King was beaten by LAPD officers after a high-speed chase during his arrest for drunk driving and driving while intoxicated on I-210.” (Wikipedia). Half of Los Angeles burned, and yet after 30 years we still see no real change. And to think we did not have Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok back then, what we saw was either on the news or in the newspaper, but for the most part, the majority of the population was not aware immediately of that day. Nowadays information is instantaneous and believes some of the videos, recordings, or whatever you see, are not always the truth. With today’s technology and pretty much an APP for that individuals can easily edit video or sound right from a smartphone, which can lead to catastrophe. As I said social media is not the culprit, and the information is not always bad, but how it is used is what makes me think about where will we be as a society in say 10 years? Will we look back on the events of 2020 and think alright things have changed or will we be sitting once again in the same situation about some awful event, injustice, or hatred with the same people uniting, marching to what is right or believe to be right – not saying anyone is wrong.
Not all social media is bad, there are opportunities to enjoy different cultures, foods, expressions, beliefs, it sort of brings faraway lands closer to you. Come on, I am sure that everyone wants to wake up and have a good day. I don’t believe that a person wakes up in the morning and says I want this day to be awful; I mean there could be, but I am pretty certain that there are more people out there wishing to have a good day. I don’t mean necessarily to be rich but have a life away from feeling hungry, being cold, feeling alone, and instead be loved, and healthy, and successful. Now, there are all sorts of levels of success; I see in TikTok people living in a van, which makes them happy and successful from what I see.
Social Media is an abundance of information – immediate information, it provides people with entertainment, news updates, what is happening around the world, recipes, new trends, new fashions, and even new groups in society. I have to say I do watch TikTok, I post on Facebook and Instagram, and connect to colleagues on LinkedIn, but social media can take people down the wrong path, and I could only share with you what I do when it comes to Social Media. I enjoy, I laugh, I post, I have even done a few recipes, but I don’t believe everything I see or read. I take the time to research other outlets, try and see the full picture before taking a stand or sharing what I saw. When it is all done and said, Social Media is not the reason things are bad, good, chaotic, tranquil, whatever the feeling is at the moment it is the people behind the posts that ultimately need to change. Like the Rodney King incident, before social media, change starts with the people.
I can tell you from my experiences and before social media, everything you see happened back then, the only difference was no one knew about it when I grew up and now that people know, think, has it changed? I am not saying that change is not possible, what I am saying is once again – change starts with people.
If I may make a suggestion, take a step away from all the social media platforms for a few hours and sit and talk to your family, loved one, friends, heck even your pet. But don’t just send a text, but try and call them, ask them over – safely – and have a real conversation. Once again thank you for reading, and have a wonderful morning, afternoon, or evening.