That’s the original quote from Tom Waits, the American songwriter and actor.
The version I remember from a t-shirt in college was, “Reality is for those without the strength of character to handle drugs.”
I loved that shirt.
But call me Weak Willy, I had zero desire to push that envelope.
Because I saw what substance abuse did to my friends and family.
I saw major real consequences—not theoretical, actually seen by me—like
– Making you obsessed with getting more of the stuff
– Changing your behavior, even with those closest to you
– Saying things much stupider than normal
– Assaulting others, verbally and physically
– Occasionally, permanently degrading how you looked at the world
Except for cannabis and an occasional glass of alcohol, most of my patients have left any wild and wooly days behind them, for precisely these reasons.
Now, about social media
Consider the effect of social media on people you know.
Has continuous exposure to the opinions of others outside their immediate circle and the nightly news done any of the following?
- Made them obsessed with constantly checking social media
- Changed their behavior, even to those closest to them
- Caused them to say shockingly stupid, regretful things
- Made them verbally or physically combative
- Apparently changed their personality permanently
Not everyone who did hard drugs got their brains fried; not everyone who consumes social media becomes radicalized.
But the potential is there.
Lest you pish pish the analogy, remember that back in the day, cigarette ads showed doctors smoking, and cocaine was an ingredient in Coca-Cola. Things we now consider Russian Roulette with 4 bullets in the revolver usually start off as being “no big deal.”
Not advocating for regulating the Internet
I grew up reading classic science fiction.
Having information be freely accessible to humanity sounds like the greatest thing for our individual and species development; it’d take a lot to convince me that Big Brother was good for us.
But like alcohol, social media consumption deserves some careful self-policing.
Some people can consume alcohol without worry; they know their limit and put their hand over the wine glass when they’ve had enough.
Some people are alcoholics and can’t consume even a little without bad things happening.
Some people consume too much but tell themselves they’re fine, they can stop any time, and are impaired without yet admitting it.
So it is with social media.
Remember: every pixel on the screen, every color, and every sound is digitally created and algorithmically curated in the most cutthroat evolutionary competition ever seen on Planet Earth: the popularity contest of which posts get the most likes and shares.
Wild wolves became domesticated Chihuahuas over the span of about 15,000 years and 5,000 generations; 5,000 generations of social media posts vying for virality takes about 1 second.
We see posts that seem raw, authentic, and unfiltered. We often don’t realize that rawness, authenticity, and lack of filtering are qualities identified by the platform algorithms as valuable to us, and therefore to be served up preferentially.
And because this process is bidirectional—content stirs up emotions and thoughts that affect our mindset—the curation alters and intensifies what we find popular or action-worthy.
Machine algorithms change the content for us, and the content changes us.
At 5,000 cycles per second, 24 hours a day.
That homey video of the multi-generational family making dumplings isn’t just about a family making a tasty stew. Its 93 million views attest to there being so. Very. Much. More. Going on beneath the electrons.
Action item
If you were going to take a drug recreationally, or allow a family member to, I’d hope that you’d want to know about its safety, purity, potential benefits, and potential risks. Especially if you found out that some of the most powerful companies on Earth were working tirelessly to make it extremely appealing for continuous, forever use. Then consider whether being more mindful about your access to this “drug” makes sense.
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