#WOKE
Does social media inherently enable demagogues like Donald Trump? how so? and is the medium equally effective for reconcilers like Oprah Winfrey? Why, or why not?
Here’s the short answer. Yes. and Yes.
Donald Trump is arguably one of the most controversial topics in North America right now, scarily enough — around the whole world
Social media may be a popularity contest, but it’s far more than just a place to show off. Social media exists as a means of witnessing, experiencing, and expressing thousands upon thousands of opinions across the globe. We are exposed to belief systems we would have never been able to conceptualize on our own on a daily basis. I think it’s important for the common people to witness the absurdity that is racism, sexism, and classism in comments, as content over the web.
Every single day Donald Trump uses social media as a way to showcase his sincerest thoughts.
I truly believe Donald Trump is the first time people started to notice the people they’re surrounded by. Since each individual is so submerged in their own unique filter bubble, it is pretty uncommon to stumble across content you’d quickly dislike on websites like facebook, twitter, and so on. But when the president of the USA tweets about Nazi’s being “very fine” people, or the size of his nuclear button, there are few places for the dark dark web (of trump supporters) to hide. Trump’s confidence and outrageous comments have given confidence to many held back racists and sexists to come out of their shells. They blame it on being fed up of our soft politically correct world — let us all LOL together.
Without these rude awakenings every once in a while, I would be submerged in a bubble of my own thoughts, my own world, my filter bubble if you will. As human beings we often forget that others are not like us, they don’t have the same heart, and most certainly not the same modes of thinking. Social media is an outlet to experience the truth — what we often keep ourselves in denial of. It is important for us to notice the amount of ignorance we are surrounded by, it is important to be passionate about alleviating misconceptions. Social media motivates me to alleviate ignorance with education, instead of getting angry at it. I believe in the difference I can make, even if it is a small wave.
Peacemakers like Oprah Winfrey are always going to win in the end. I still like to believe majority of people are sane and decent, and moral. When communities support each other through social media the strength and connection felt between a group of likeminded people is so up lifting. So much so that it exceeds just a virtual experience. I myself have been apart of many online groups, in every single one I remember this distinct feeling of togetherness, I was apart of something bigger than just me.
From what I’ve personally seen, social media websites like Twitter have also opened the common people’s eyes to how corrupt we receive news. Twitter is the only place I receive real hardships people are facing around the globe, through posts from passionate people, not news conglomerates.
In fact, the twitter community ridicule news headlines collectively, we laugh at what “they” think, we think is news. We’ve uncovered (because of social media) that news companies are delivering information that’ll get them the most attention. In discovering this, we’ve decided to take things in our own hands.
For instance, “Twitter do ya thing” is a new hashtag tweeted to expose people who have been brutally cruel, racist, sexist, and have committed some sort of crime. The twitter community then finds the person or people through — you guessed it- social media, and help bring justice to those who would’ve probably slipped through the criminal system. I personally have witnessed cheaters being outed, dog abusers sentenced to jail, child molesters sentenced to far worse, ALL BECAUSE OF SOCIAL MEDIA.
Social media has enabled collective consciousness, a feeling of community, justice to be served, and so much more. I can confidently say social media is far more effective as a place to learn and grow, than as a place to engage in never ending debates about you know who.
Oprah always wins.
