A chilly but sunny morning here, unfortunately it feels much colder with a brisk northwest wind. The weather is schizophrenic this time of year: 70 degrees one day, 30 degrees the next. I've got a few things on my mind, so have a cup of coffee and let's talk.
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| My Wall Drug coffee cup. I like the old "cafe" design. I got this on vacation in South Dakota a few years ago. |
For the last few weeks I have been slowly weaning myself off social media. In light of recent world events, I found myself spending too much time on Facebook, Reddit, X, Threads, etc. and it was starting to kill my soul: A state of constant anxiety. Inability to sleep at night. A never-ending pallor of impending doom.
I decided I cannot live like this. I am old enough to remember life before social media. And it was a much better place.
I deleted all but one app: Instagram (and that is strictly because my kids like to send me things like memes, reels, or whatever the hell you call it). I don't scroll Instagram. Instead, the only time I open it is when I have a new message.
While I want to stay informed of national and world events, I have found that social media is a breeding ground for misinformation. These platforms are contributing the the downfall of our society and it is burrowing an addictive, anxiety-ridden, toxic wormhole into our consciousness.
But what caused me to finally say enough was enough? The conflict in Iran was the last straw.
First, almost everything we see on social media these days is AI generated. And so many people believe everything they see without questioning or scrutinizing. Education is important, folks.
Second, any web site can call itself a "news source" and it can post any fiction under the sun. There's always a simpleton or a malcontent out there who will take a story at face value and repost on social media, especially if the content fits their agenda.
The cesspool known as Facebook is especially bad. That platform is full of gullible, uneducated, village idiots. "News stories" are shared as Gospel without verifying a single legitimate source ...then the name calling, arguments and threats start. Family vs. family. Friends vs. friends. Strangers vs. strangers. Day after day after day.
Daily exposure to this can kill your joy for living really fast.
Other platforms such as Threads, X, Reddit, etc. are filled with paranoid doomsdayers, who clearly have nothing to do but doom scroll all day while curled in a fetal position. Sadly, it doesn't take much to follow them down that morbid blackhole and I admit they nearly got their hooks in me before I finally woke up.
Third, every news source in the United States has an agenda; to understand this truth is to be ahead of the game. Today's "news" falls into two categories: it is either anti-Trump or Trump-sponsored propaganda. Both are designed to divide us and it has worked spectacularly well.
A certain faction of our populous has been led to believe if you are anti-Trump you are anti-American. Not only is this an unpatriotic, un-American way of thinking (if you know American history, you know this to be true), it is groupthink at its finest, just as Orwell predicted some 77 years ago.
What do I mean by this? Over the years, I've know many people who were anti-Obama, anti-Bush, anti-Clinton, anti-Reagan (yes, I am that old). Did I ever think those folks (who are good friends/family/co-workers) anti-American? Of course not. Just because your political beliefs do not align with the current president's agenda, it does not make you "an enemy of the state" (unfortunately, that's a quote). However, that is the current climate in our country.
And this sentiment is as un-American as you can possibly get. Wait... how is that un-American?
The United States of America was founded on differences. It was founded on open debate and intellectual discourse. It was founded on argument, exchange of ideas and, ultimately, compromise. The Founding Fathers were not a bunch of "yes men." They were feisty dudes who yelled, pounded tables and bickered a blue streak, but they all had a common cause: love of country. That's been recently minimized from our collective consciousness, but it doesn't change the truth.
And the first step to the truth is getting news without an agenda.
I have found four excellent news options: Reuters, Associated Press, BBC and Al Jazeera (yes, Al Jazeera; this is a trusted, impartial, internationally award-winning news organization -- rednecks ain't gonna like the name, but once again, education is very important). These are the news sources I personally trust.
So what do I do now that I am not scrolling on social media? The site 1440 is incredibly refreshing (I am providing the link here just in case anyone else is seeking a "way out" of the perversion of social media). The 1440 site is free and is full of awesome stories for the intellectually curious. They also provide daily news updates (email) which are balanced from an assortment of agencies, along with daily interesting tidbits from around the world.
I am going back to a more simple time. It is difficult to do these days, but I am determined to get there.
Go outside. Start writing. Learn a new skill. Start reading. Find a hobby.
Think of how much of your life is wasted staring at a screen. This is just a temporary stop. Make the most of it.
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