Bored With Social Media

 Social media is boring and annoying.

The news event that prompted this epiphany was not one I particularly cared about.  It was the dedication of the new Ted Kennedy Center,  yesterday.  The mainstream news stories in print and on TV  were mostly upbeat, citing the strength of Kennedy's ability to form coalitions and find ways to compromise.

But a few ankle biting bloggers and muckraking radio hosts could not pass-up the opportunity to remind us of the low points of Kennedy's long career in the spotlight:  The infamous Chappaquiddick accident, and several (one might even say "too many") embarrassments involving alcohol and loose women.   

I am not a stalwart Kennedy supporter or fan, but I see no point in digging-up old dirt and thrusting it in the faces of those who wish to remember the man's accomplishments.  It's just small-minded and unseemly to stomp on another's memory.  In fact, it's shameful.

Which brings me to my point about social media.  There was a review of a book in todays Globe about how the Internet creates a perfect medium for public shaming.    

I was unaware of the trending nature of this phrase but you get a lot of hits when you Google it.

A conservative colleague of mine writes a blog that is virtually 99% full of shame.  He spends his day scouring the internet for juicy negative tid-bits about any politician or celebrity who is  liberal or progressive.  His posts are one sided, monotone and cynical.  He should be writing scripts for FOX news instead of wasting his time writing screeds that no one reads.    

See what I did there?  I could not help trying to write some shaming things about his blog, because I --- like every other human being -- am annoyed by information I am uncomfortable with.  We do not change our fundamental beliefs because of the conflicting info, instead, we become angry at the source of the conflicting info.  We want to shoot the messenger.  

There is another muckraker local radio talk guy and columnist for the worst newspaper in Boston, Howie Carr. His mocking sense of humor appeals to the lowest level of mouth-breathing NRA Liberal-haters.  Just listening to a few minutes of his callers tells you everything you need to know about low information ankle biting zealots.

When you read or listen to these nattering nabobs of negativism (thank you Spiro Agnew),
it is disturbing.  Because many of the accusations are true, at least partially true.  I do not know if these guys think they are are preaching to the choir or attempting to sway the congregation.  But if it is the latter, they should know they are creating just the opposite effect from what they intend. 

I am not going to try to educate anyone about Cognitive Dissonance. Look it up, you will see what I mean.

BTW, the same phenomenon is extant on the Liberal/Progressive side.  Facebook and Twitter provide click-easy ways to "share" a social philosophy that you agree with.  Preachers of doom screeching that Global Warming deniers are all unscientific boobs, gun owners are foolish co-conspiritors to every shooting incident, etc, etc.   

No one ends up convincing anyone of anything they didn't already believe.

If you deleted all the posts in Twitter or FB or Blogs that try to shame someone, all you have left are braggy posts about kids and travels, cute cat pix, and boring throwback pictures of someone's drunk uncle posing in speedoos.

It's just annoying.