Day 3 Month 1 Year 2016 in BookThree: Flight Log 2016

Kind of a heads up… I’m going to be playing with Old Entry locations a bit in an attempt to consolidate some of my Prosebox Books. I don’t know if that is going to trigger a crap ton of “Hey, new entry” false flags or not… but I wanted to give a fair warning just in case.

I suppose my only other thing to say for today? All scientists are saying that Social Media makes people feel depressed. Folks are quick to point to Fear of Missing Out (colloquially referred to as “FOMO”) but there are other schools of thought. One? Social Media foists the news IT wants you to see. So, in an effort to get Social Media Users talking (and thus, sharing details about their views to be sold) it bombards users with either the most controversial, the most insipid, the most confrontational, or the most trivial of news. “How is X news?!” or “My GOD, how can they be so accepting/unaccepting of X?!” As we see more things that bother us, we become disenfranchised, anxious, and/or depressed. Another theory? It is showing us far too well how idiotic, confrontational, or insane those closest to us actually are. Prior to Social Media… the “crazy aunt everyone talks about” was a rumor… an individual that you saw once a year and who was able to keep “Bat Shit Crazy” to at least a dull roar. But Social Media jumps in and now… instead of a little crazy once a year; you get to experience all the crazy every day. How depressing to realize that a family member, a friend, a co-worker or someone you deeply respect is (for example) a die-hard 911 Truther or religiously anti-Vac or Climate Change Denier or Birther… pick your extremist poison.

I don’t really see a need to point out THE reason Social Media increases depression. I’m not going to give up my FB anytime soon… I need it for work, I play games, it is how I stay in touch with family… it really does do a lot of good things in my life (in a way). But it does contribute to depression. Generally and my own.
(1) I get to stay “caught up” with friends… but I don’t get to hang out with them (as they are scattered across the country).
(2) I watch friends get suckered into spiraling Comment Section Style Arguments. Many of us know these. One person says something like “These college protests are getting out of hand!” Another person says something like “There should be protests about racism, leave these kids alone.” And then it spirals into something… just awful… from there.
(3) I get to watch as people dance through their own political side-steps. “I’m a Hillary supporter. Oh, an article on how Rubio is awful. Who needs to fact check this?” or worse… “I’m a Hillary supporter. Someone questioned her about Benghazi or her credentials or her past? They are a misogynist monster who hates progress!” And… yes, I used Hillary supporters there for a reason… I don’t see as much vitriolic rage coming from the Sanders Supporters in my circles.

I suppose a TL;DR of why I know my social media use is contributing to my depression? I’m struggling for hope (relationship, job, etc)… and Social Media seems to continually show me how fleeting hope in a better world can be… how broken society seems to be… ultimately, how hopeless the world is (or might be becoming.)