More has been written and espoused about Social Media than I would ever care to re-hash. Social Media itself is not the “Dark Side” to borrow a Star Wars quip. The control they have on our personal lives and communication is another story. Today’s society is much different from the one of my childhood. Again, that does not make it bad. My purposes for closing accounts have more to do with regaining time, which at the age of sixty is a precious commodity. The secondary reason will be explained briefly in this writing.

Harder to find accurate information

The lack of credible, relevant information is not relegated to Social Media alone, our twenty-four hour news cycle is definitely in the running for the crown, followed closely by Blogs and Podcasts. I remember watching Frank Reynolds of ABC news on air after Ronald Reagan’s attempted assassination. They were trying to determine if Reagan had been actually shot. He would not make the call until told in his earpiece, which he asked on air, are you sure and is this verified. That was during a time when news didn’t subscribe to sensationalism, not all items were “Breaking News”, no, the accuracy of the news reported was paramount. Today, it is a secondary maybe a tertiary consideration, being the first to the dance is all that matters now. I have several sites and agencies that I get my news from today, and almost all of them are overseas organizations. If I cannot believe the things being promulgated from these platforms why dedicate any time to reading or listening to their content?

Money drives opinions today (Maybe it always has?)

I recall a quote from a movie where the lead actor said: “I hate money, when it is new it cuts your fingers, when it is old it smells.” Today, the only thing that matters is making money, anyway, anyhow, with no consideration to whom it hurts. We should remember when we are talking about the truth “You cannot get a little pregnant.” We teach our children and grandchildren in my case, the value of telling the truth, while the rest of the world shows them daily that truth is in the eyes of the beholder. No. No. No. Enough of that type of diatribe. I want someone I can look to for information that actually has integrity and their profitability is not their driving mantra. Will you find it on Social Media, not likely, but we allow this to happen, if we support these organizations and businesses we are putting our seal of approval on their actions even if just implicitly.

Social Media is Big Brother

We all have a fear of a Orwellian society (1984 reference) where we are all being controlled by databases and the people that manipulate them. The problem with the AI (artificial intelligence) software used today for the complex algorithms of these social sites is AI does not forget anything. You might not remember what you ate for a snack three years ago, but AI does. So much of our behavior is rooted deep in our mind, a sort of autopilot for actions, think about driving somewhere and not remembering anything about the trip (i.e. commute to work). We are forgoing our privacy, our identity and maybe even more yet undiscovered. This Big Brother can cancel you in short order if you are not compliant with its wishes. Try to speak about things not popular with our cultural police and you will soon discover the wrath of Big Brother is painful. Freedom of speech, the right is becoming illusive, why fight it, your thoughts are being programmed daily, it is as automatic as having coffee in the morning. I find myself wanting to cry out like William Wallace in the Mel Gibson movie “Braveheart” , FREEDOM!!

Vote with your Wallet

I taught my kids growing up, if you want to protest something in society, vote with your wallet. The people that make the decisions only understand profits. Hit them in the wallet and they will listen to you. I think it ironic that we complain on a social media site, it is like feeding the beast. If you don’t agree with an organization, don’t sign petitions, don’t post all over social media, take your money and time elsewhere. While we are on the subject, when did it make sense to pay Amazon $130 per year for 2 day delivery when almost all sites are offering free delivery. When Amazon can shut down server access to a company, without warning, they are no longer just a business, they are delving into being a political organization. I write a blog on WordPress and post to social media through links. In the future you can read my blog at Duanew.blog. You can sign up to have these delivered to your email box. I write about once a week or so. I hope all of you will consider what role social media has in your life. They will continue business as usual unless we vote with our wallet. If this doesn’t apply to you thanks for your time and disregard it as the rantings of an old retired Marine that has reached the tipping point. I pray that the Jesus Christ bless you and your family during these pivotal days.