I know I’m not the only one who is reminded of events like Orlando because my friend wanted an update on my sexuality, or recalls the suicide of a friend’s uncle only when another one pops up. I always have the thought of “oh shit I can’t believe I forgot”. And it only seems to get worse with, “…And I didn’t even start to do anything about it”.
Before I get too far into thought, I want to make it clear that I think social media is a fantastic resource, and something that has changed the world in more ways than I could ever begin to count. However, it’s painful to scroll through Facebook and see so much information. Not to mention that within hours, and maybe even less time the information is forgotten. Some things come and go. New artsy profile pics get likes and now even loves, silly comments and posts exchanged between friends, pics from parties in fashionable or forward clothing. We all do it, and we all really enjoy seeing the “like” number going from 0 to 100. I’ll be the first to admit that I pay attention. And when asked if I care, I’ll probably lie and say no, but I do. So what changes when we post something we want well received by a lot of people? This article for instance. It’ll maybe get a few page views. It doesn’t really matter to me what the number is. I’m honestly not sure I even know how to find out. It does matter to me that I have a voice and that maybe if it could be heard by one person, that would be enough.
There’s an ongoing problem I have noticed in scrolling through thousands of Facebook posts, and that is that issues we heavily need to address turn into fads. There has been a good amount of progress in the Black Lives Matter movement for instance, but a once extraordinarily popular hashtag only weeks back is now a movement that people know about, but don’t really understand. Social media was a great forum for the movement to use to get the word out but like any news people like the most recent and most popular. As time goes on, important issues are covered up by Taylor Swift’s breakup, or a Buzzfeed quiz about sex.
There is nothing inherently wrong with this. Social media was created for people to talk together about whatever they deemed fit. All subjects SHOULD be on social media, but the ones that need action require not just typing your opinion on a computer or through your phone. That’s when on social media a topic may slowly fade, but with the fade of a fad a true movement begins.
So, when posting be mindful of your voice, and be even more purposeful with your action.
“We are not the thing we seek, nor the thing we see behind. We may carry until our backs break, holding the wondrous treasures of the past. But our feet that hold the present earth and our staggered breath are what make us a movement and not a figment of the present past”-Caroline Mattox
