Today, I cannot believe in anything. I feel like I am doublechecking everything I hear from multiple sources to support or to refute any opinion or act. I was born in '94 so I didn't always have the internet at my disposal, I saw it flourish and today I am partially afraid of it.
It reminds me of the various books and articles I have read on dystopian societies, which I always thought were great, but fiction. Today, I think I was wrong. I live in a world where news channels show what drives ratings so that more people view the news channels and hence they can sell advertising spots for a higher price. Today I see people sharing their views and getting attacked. Today, I feel disturbed, afraid and confused.
In classic dystopian fiction, there is generally an authoritarian government. Fortunately, we're not there (yet). Not in all parts of the world. There would be people watching you everywhere, everytime and the government will have the power to sniff you out anytime they'd want. We're not there yet either[1] (hopefully) but there is significant technology to do so. We're probably waiting for the precedent.
Today, we in dystopia already but it is slightly different from what we had imagined it to be and that is the beauty of dystopia. It doesn't let you know when it is creeping in, you just accept it as a part of life. You are the system and the system is you.
Today, we belittle people for expressing their views which do not match ours. That's not exactly dystopian but is sad. Influencers, journalists, friends on Facebook (not the real ones) all wait for you to say something which they do not agree with and bam! you're on fire. Was this our idea of the new world?
I always have been keen on learning, I am scared to share a post on Facebook because I don't know if the source is credible enough or if people will start insulting me for the views I hold. This fear was never a part of the design. We were supposed to be the generation which accepts, which understands, which rejoices diverse opinions and flourishes on diversity. What happened to that dream?
Today, we live in our virtual echo chambers which help us avoid conflict and an opportunity to correct ourselves. Wasn't that one of they pillars of this world of internet? Learning? To open up doors to a library where it didn't matter what time it was, there was no librarian to chuck you out, there was no distance you had to travel in order to read a few lines and get educated? Wasn't that the idea? Then why are we here?
Don't misquote me, please. I have no issues with advertisements. I have no issues with people selling stuff to others, I have an issue with people not talking about things that matter. People not getting to see what is real, well researched and thoughtful.
My only call to the few people [and crawler bots] who will ever get to read this is, please listen. Listen actively to people around you and share your thoughts. It is okay to be wrong and it is okay to ask questions because that is what will make us better. Share content to get opinions, varied outlooks and respect those. Help people who are saying something which you don't believe in by helping them correct their course, not be belittling them but by educating them and hearing them out. Please, comment on something you don't agree with. It is not wasting your time, it is engaging someone in a conversation to re-evaluate what they think and helping yourself re-evaluate your beliefs. Please please please, talk and not fight. Understand and learn, to become better.
To being better!
[1] Actually we are, read Wikileaks more often.
It reminds me of the various books and articles I have read on dystopian societies, which I always thought were great, but fiction. Today, I think I was wrong. I live in a world where news channels show what drives ratings so that more people view the news channels and hence they can sell advertising spots for a higher price. Today I see people sharing their views and getting attacked. Today, I feel disturbed, afraid and confused.
In classic dystopian fiction, there is generally an authoritarian government. Fortunately, we're not there (yet). Not in all parts of the world. There would be people watching you everywhere, everytime and the government will have the power to sniff you out anytime they'd want. We're not there yet either[1] (hopefully) but there is significant technology to do so. We're probably waiting for the precedent.
Today, we in dystopia already but it is slightly different from what we had imagined it to be and that is the beauty of dystopia. It doesn't let you know when it is creeping in, you just accept it as a part of life. You are the system and the system is you.
Today, we belittle people for expressing their views which do not match ours. That's not exactly dystopian but is sad. Influencers, journalists, friends on Facebook (not the real ones) all wait for you to say something which they do not agree with and bam! you're on fire. Was this our idea of the new world?
I always have been keen on learning, I am scared to share a post on Facebook because I don't know if the source is credible enough or if people will start insulting me for the views I hold. This fear was never a part of the design. We were supposed to be the generation which accepts, which understands, which rejoices diverse opinions and flourishes on diversity. What happened to that dream?
Today, we live in our virtual echo chambers which help us avoid conflict and an opportunity to correct ourselves. Wasn't that one of they pillars of this world of internet? Learning? To open up doors to a library where it didn't matter what time it was, there was no librarian to chuck you out, there was no distance you had to travel in order to read a few lines and get educated? Wasn't that the idea? Then why are we here?
Don't misquote me, please. I have no issues with advertisements. I have no issues with people selling stuff to others, I have an issue with people not talking about things that matter. People not getting to see what is real, well researched and thoughtful.
My only call to the few people [and crawler bots] who will ever get to read this is, please listen. Listen actively to people around you and share your thoughts. It is okay to be wrong and it is okay to ask questions because that is what will make us better. Share content to get opinions, varied outlooks and respect those. Help people who are saying something which you don't believe in by helping them correct their course, not be belittling them but by educating them and hearing them out. Please, comment on something you don't agree with. It is not wasting your time, it is engaging someone in a conversation to re-evaluate what they think and helping yourself re-evaluate your beliefs. Please please please, talk and not fight. Understand and learn, to become better.
To being better!
[1] Actually we are, read Wikileaks more often.
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ReplyDeleteA piece well written & well-thought upon. However, the place where you say, and I quote ‘Don't misquote me, please. I have no issues with advertisements. I have no issues with people selling stuff to others, I have an issue with people not talking about things that matter. People not getting to see what is real, well researched and thoughtful.’-this makes compels me to rethink on who do you really think is to be blamed after all this? Is it the media? Or the people? Or a certain section of the society (mass audience atleast in our country) who are inclined only towards sensationalism?
ReplyDelete