I learned something profound in the pandemic. Unfortunately I’m not sure when the change occurred or has it always been like this? Like what came first the trauma, isolation or the division?
Now if you aren’t aware of what an echo chamber is you should check out Joe Rogans podcast where he describes it at length. Long definition short it is an environment where a person only encounters information that either reflects or reinforces their own. If you’re confused to why this is an issue imagine if around you you were only presented with the same things and never exposed to anything new or new ideas aka indoctrination. Now what if that information was incorrect? You would have no way of even knowing. The way that the algorithm works for internet/social media, is it literally enforces everyones echo chambers because they are unaware that there is any dissent or variety in the knowledge that their feed enforces. This is important. That change in the algorithm that moved away from showing you organic posts of the people you follow to posts that only resonate with the other things you had been shown to like or agree with, is a major factor these days to the information that makes up your own particular echo chamber. Simply acknowledging that we are all in our own echo chambers at least opens up the thought pattern that every person you encounter literally has their own little world around them that they defined that may not be congruent with your own. That thought alone is indicative that the person has at least come to some terms of people having some sort of free will or individuality within their own control. We were theoretically behaving more in a herd-like community before the introduction of social media that which now gives that same illusionary feeling of inclusion when in reality we are more disconnected from each other than ever. Seriously, when was the last time you asked your neighbor for sugar? Do you even know your neighbor? And I haven’t even talked about the effect of the pandemic!
I lived awhile before the days we were really using computers. What do y’all know about Oregon Trail? I mean the original computer lab version where you somehow always got dysentery right before you made it. I was there for the beginning of AOL, Myspace and Black Planet… like even way before Facebook, so I can tell you that I have noticed a difference in the people before and people today. There’s been for sure a disconnect. Like I’m sure narcissist have been around for thousands of years but now these days it’s like the social media on the phone only enables those traits of being completely self absorbed in that echo chamber stronger! It’s not even popular for people to formulate their own opinions these days. Cancel culture is vicious and although social media has it’s perks we really have to ask ourselves of the implications that the new technological advances are having on the effect of not only the environment but also on society as a whole. Especially in the regard to the mental health of the populous. I mean we aren’t even allowing proper “science-ing” if we are closed off to potentially new information that may skew any data/history of what’s been observed before. To be a scientist is literally trying to find new truths, new processes, and new/alternative theories so how can we trust people to do that job if they are in fear of the repercussions of getting cancelled because their finds/results don’t concur with the current studies? Are we to believe the same lies we have been told because we are uncomfortable with any new information that may cause change?
Let’s look at 9/11. This was a turning point where for a couple of years we all came together as a country. By 2022 we are all separated/traumatized and half off us even want to expat to another countries. The extremes on both ends of the spectrum. The thing to understand is that everyone’s phone is programmed to their own particular algorithm. With a country like ours that quite frankly has always lacked unity since it’s start, I think moving forward we must try to adjust our ways of living. Embrace the “melting pot” we claim to be. We must try to communicate with one another and build/-rebuild a cohesive society that is congruent with the individuals that are actually living in it. Before we can do that, we have to get the people out of their chambers and wake them up so we can finally start REAL discussions to build a sense of community that have been absent. Before you say have been, awareness is key. People are unaware that they have been isolated. Remember that most of the things that they’ve seen/known/exposed themselves to on their phones these days is the information that agrees with their ideals/lifestyles.
For an example:
I’ve worked all over this country and have met so many different people from so many walks of life it’s really been amazing and a blessing. In regard to racism, I had the “pleasure” of discussing it with both people that would put that hood on and the people from the hood. What amazes me in the rhetoric of both people were that they were saying the same things from different perspectives. Both groups feel like they are being targeted and preyed upon by the other. Whether that’s accurate or not is debatable but not debatable was that both groups were being fed different contrasting information that created more hatred and was further enforced by the algorithm/community members/mainstream media/local news echoing this same information to their own echo chambers, validating their own beliefs. They expressed feelings as if this “threat”, whether real or imaged, was an immediate and direct threat to their communities and their actions/mannerisms reflected that belief. Whether it’s evident in their actual environments or not, I can’t attest to it. Now in this situation, whether you want to acknowledge it or not, you are not require to agree with either side. You can choose neutrality. No one can force you to feel or think anything against your will. Those individuals I talked to had formed their own opinions based upon information that they had received throughout their lives and their feelings were valid. I was not there to debate about it. FEELING AREN’T FACTS. Feelings are fleeting. Feelings are flawed. Feelings aren’t permanent. Feelings aren’t policy. FEELINGS AREN’T LAWS. Too many people are allowing these “FEELINGS” to create reactions to the events around them instead of thinking and making good critical decisions, opinions and behaviors. Backstory: I really wasn’t trying to talk about this but was physically approached at a bar by a guy and asked directly about how I felt about their “organization” with the 3 repeating letters. Although at first I was surprised at the audacity, it is exactly these conversations that have got to be had. Respectfully, people are allowed to feel any type of way about anything whether you like it or agree with them or not. That’s not something that controllable. Are any of those people required to act on those feelings? No! Absolutely not! There’s nothing wrong with disagreeing with others, not liking others, or not hanging out with people that aren’t palatable to you. We all have different preferences and it really has to be okay to allow us all to mind our own businesses. All of us are different and peace comes with understanding. Understanding requires efficient communication. Though we seem to have no problem talking, without listening there’s no exchange of information. It’s like we got caught up defining the problem or figuring out whether there is even a problem we can agree upon….when really we just really need to be focused on finding the solutions. It doesn’t matter what my personal echo chamber reflects back to me because I understand that is only one perspective of the many. I can see the bigger picture and understand that there are others around me living with their own struggles, lives, issues, dreams, families, friends, etc.
In closing, I just want to know when we can all move forward? What will it take for us to live in peace with one another? How can we best support our global society and community around us on an individual level? What is the future going to look like for the future generations we are birthing? How can we come to a mutual peace where we can all pursue our best lives as individuals in harmony with each other as a human species? I’m not claiming to have any of the solutions for world peace/community peace/etc but if we never intend to ever talk about it and listen to each other about how to get there…how will we ever achieve it?
C Money London 