Technology has changed very rapidly since the 20th Century. Upon the creation of computers in the 40s, engineers began to develop ways to create networks between those computers; this phenomenon would later become what we know in present day as of the World Wide Web.
In present day, there are various amounts of social networking sites. An environment where users can reach the maximum number of people without dealing with the reality of a person-to-person conversation. The goal of social media is to create a wide range of inclusiveness between individuals, who typically would not communicate on day-to-day basis because of things like long distance, profession and many other things in life that make communication difficult.
Has that inclusiveness allowed people to become more closed-minded?
Since we're currently in the midst of a presidential election year, many opinions are shared on ideology and beliefs amongst many individuals. These opinions are often shared through the lens of social media. Over the past few months, there have been rapid changes in how people have become critical of others views, commonly seeing two famous phrases on social media
"If you don't agree with me, unfriend/unfollow me"
"If you support Clinton and/or Trump, we are no longer friends".
Why are people so immune to thinking this way? I understand a set of beliefs and ideology are extremely hard to change. But why not attempt to understand the opposition? Social media has caused this ignorance. It is often limiting what the mind can process and envision. The discussion social media has created are all based on one's own individual identify, especially in the political realm of things.
Social media has become an echo chamber of an individuals own preconceived notions. Due to the social media user's ability to choose their friends, choose what content they would like to see, and the ability to block anything or anyone who they don't want to see or hear. Because of this, a classmate or co-worker you'd otherwise get along with you "hate" because of their beliefs.
This is not your fault, it's human nature to fall into a partisanship rather than the complex of political theories which can lead to a more thoughtful way of thinking.
My argument is that less disciplined people revolt to this because of comfortability. Instead of breaking barriers many social media users are building more because of their inability to think more vividly while being constraint to their own ideology. I enjoy having social media & seeing the diversity within.
As a Democrat, I don't enjoy having conversations mainly with Democrats. That's boring. It doesn't excite me. It doesn't allow me to understand the opposition. When discussing the narrative with the opposition, one may find out that you will develop a better understand perspective of others instead of simplifying. It really allows me to see how others live and challenges my way of thinking.
We can only speculate about what the future of social networking may look in the next the next few decades from now. However, it seems clear that it will exist in some form for as long as humans are alive.
Do yourself a favor and become more accustomed to discussing with other users about their ideology and beliefs rather than tainting yourself from the material. We must learn to be more open minded and accepting of the diverse world we live in. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, isn't that why we love this country in the first place?
Diversity and opposing views are what made this country great in the first place.
George Soros once said, "...America is great precisely because it is an open society, and an open society recognizes that nobody is the ultimate arbiter- and that we may be wrong at times, even if we are powerful. We must be open to criticism and respect divergent and different views and interest."
