Illustration: Mark Chamberlain
As I am watching my social media streams blow up with likes, cheers and scathing attacks on Kim Davis for her publicly defiant stance on gay marriage or basically refusing to do her job, there is something that just does not feel right. Another case, the mother who left her child in a shopping cart suddenly induces battalions of online debaters to question whether her supporters would have felt different had she been another race while they scour the web to find comparable cases for justification of either opinion; again, this makes me question my fellowship in the church of Facebook. I am disgusted and saddened by the senseless killing of a lion but question the witch hunt that followed where faceless judges of right and wrong are able to cast their guilt decision with a click. It feels as if the Internet has created a super society that no longer rallies under a flag but pushes agenda through "likes."
The advocating of social behavior through likes can also be felt in "shares." I often share something that strikes me as interesting, inspirational or educational as if this is my personal online magazine. Lately, there are more transparent product placements or political agendas than stream of conscience postings. I am guilty of using social media as an in house Public Relations department to promote my content and often judge my creations based on likes or shares. Although, I feel ignorant in this virtual community as I still do not understand what "first for first" means on Instagram or just how this world is becoming such a powerful marketing tool. I get that the imprint on another person's brain is powerful but feel that I am not alone in thinking that there is something much more going on at my fingertips than realized. I got a license to drive a car but never received training in what my online actions might bring as a result of a click.
There must be tons of available studies to better inform me of what is going on but with all the other tasks that keep me busy surviving in the world; the idea of researching the implications of my online identity is a just another line on the never ending to do list of life. Why not just blindly click away for the time being? Maybe it is a sense of responsibility and owning my like of approval has developed into a modern day signature... the older I get, the more reflective I have become on what to push out into the Universe. We all have those people on our social feeds that constantly rant about what ticks them off and the old adage "if you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all" comes to mind but there is value in the strength of people calling out injustice. I believe in freedom of speech but question my authority on all things presented for my consideration via the web.
So there I am, frozen in front of my laptop, wondering if my like is really a like or maybe it is a dislike? Am I liking that individuals are receiving a virtual beat down that I would never have the nerve to commit in a physical action but wield freely as a cyber bully. Is the click mightier than the sword?
There are so many "trolls" on the web and companies that push propaganda through automated "likes." My personal challenge is to find the basic meaning of a "like" and share this vote from a positive place; something that makes me smile, an act that encourages me to be a better human... not a passive, aggressive compliment that has the intention of shaming someone. I have no need to throw rotten produce at the person locked up in these virtual stockades or pass down judgment with my "scarlet like."