Introduction: The good versus the bad
One can argue that the new technologies of today have contributed more good than bad in the world. The faster speeds of connectivity have allowed access to all sorts of information with just a click of a button. More recently, online platforms have also played a valuable role in the empowerment of the common man by providing a voice to even those who were previously neglected or forgotten. Digital empowerment is a reality that has successively amassed activism and augmented support for various socio-political causes.
Yet there is certainly a negative side to this virtual reality humans have created for themselves. And seeing that all generations today employ the use of one or more of digital devices, everyone in the world is susceptible to the effects these technologies have on us. The negatives stem mostly from the misuse of the said technologies and have resulted in a gradual change in humanity itself. Humans have become less human because of it.
The biggest technological landmark in recent times is the widespread use of the internet itself. It is a phenomenon that has engrossed millions of people worldwide and continues to enlist further users with every passing year. Its use is being especially boosted by the vast variety of social media platforms it caters to. One can trace the journey of a user who uses social media on a daily basis and estimate what impact it might have on the users who use it, and others who share that platform as well. This could be a good exercise to gauge the unbridled power of the potent medium that is our social media.
How does social media come into all of this?
Take the example of Facebook. The top search bar facilitates finding connections across the world and extracting personal information from their profiles. Such accessibility to personal data opens doors for its misuse and exploitation. Some might argue that this information is put there by people themselves and that they should be aware of its ill-use when sharing such personal details to begin with others. However, providing that level of access to millions of users around the world is something that feels inherently invasive. Even the high security settings in themselves do not provide complete restriction on the access of all information by others. Also, users who opt for high security settings are still at the risk of being hacked. This access point thus has potential to interfere in people’s private lives and infringe on their right of privacy on a constant basis. this is done both consciously and subconsciously.
One more trend that the use of social media propagates is that of posting about one’s social events and experiences. Though considered by some as a convenient way to learn about what their family and friends are up to, sometimes knowing too much is often detrimental. Seeing that a friend has been promoted to a higher rank again when your own promotion has been delayed for the past two years, or that a family member has taken their third trip to Europe in the last 2 years, when your Schengen visa has been rejected every time you have applied- this level of visibility can prove toxic and play a negative toll on people’s minds. People may find the need to document their every success and mask their every failure on social media. The lines between fiction and reality might be morphed so much so that it becomes impossibly hard for the brain to discern them.
People usually portray their lives in an unbelievably positive light, as if they have found the elixir to eternal happiness. They bask in their glories while putting up “feeling grateful” posts. In a way, this can represent that our happiness is not our own unless it is validated by others. This can also represent our detachment from the reality around us. Young digital natives would attest to the fact that their increased interaction with the internet and with social media in particular, leaves them feeling socially anxious and emotionally detached to others. This exemplifies an audience who is slowly becoming both disengaged and disillusioned towards what life has to offer in the real sense of the word.
The convenience of using emojis and react buttons on what people put up online adds another layer of detachment to the already serious problem. Nowadays, we are more inclined to communicate all of our emotions via the medium of online messaging. This shift in preference results in the loss of subtle emotions that can’t possibly be captured by the autocorrected strings of letters sent via everyday whatsapping or ‘dming’. We are all involved in the act of ‘caring from a distance’ where we think a text message suffices for and is an alternative to meeting someone in person. We have become so good in our roles of detached voyeurs that we view the entire world from the screens of our iPhones. These actions have become so deeply ingrained in us now that we have become autotuned and wired in our interactions, See perils of automation.
Road to become ‘comfortably numb’
Another problem that silently lingers on the virtual landscape is the one of graphic imagery that incites further negativity in the virtual community. As audiences, we are exposed to violence and emotional distress on a daily basis due to the graphic imagery and grief-stricken accounts shared by those who are affected by traumatic incidents. Sometimes these images and words are shared by other audiences, even without the approval of the victims. Soon these images and accounts take a life of their own. They are shared on forums invoking prayers and seeking donations for anyone who comes across them. They are hence capitalized on their shock value. In a way, viewers also gravitate toward these raw, untouched narratives because in their minds, these represent the ugly truth out there in the world. Read about the suitable households.
However, constant exposure to this sort of imagery has damaging effects on our brains. After a while, we become ‘comfortably numb’ while reading past these posts. ‘By observing it in other people, we have our own experience of it, but at an emotional distance. The more we observe terrifying events happening to other people, the more they reinforce our sense of denial and detachment: It can’t happen to us’. Our empathetic skills are compromised, and we become less emotionally reactive. We become desensitized to these shocking images or news we see or read on a daily basis and turnover our emotions in a matter of seconds. We become almost mechanic in our reactions to such powerful and poignant narratives, sometimes not even responding to them. This normalization of violence to such an extent, in that it does not even evoke a response in us, can be a testament to how our emotions have been wrung dry and diminished completely over time.
Perhaps the worst of it all is the problem of anonymous hate on the internet. One does not have to look far to spot the hatred spewing in the comments section of online posts. This constitutes another personal attack that users potentially face when using online platforms. The anonymity offered by the internet serves as a perfect breeding ground for those who are probably too afraid or powerless to voice their concerns to someone’s face. Instead they may opt to channel their energies in a negative way and leave behind distasteful comments in attempts to injure the repute of others. This anonymity offered by the internet is the reason why so many people can get away with posting a lot of inappropriate or abusive material and still manage to not be held accountable for their words.
This problem of hate spreading has resulted in so many people especially those from younger generations to suffer from mental stress and a lack of confidence. In paying heed to the haters and trying to please everyone, they try to conform to the society’s standards and slowly lose what makes them unique and individual. This however does not work for long as a new flux of opinions come gushing in every time they try to ‘fix’ themselves, each more brutal than the last ones. This constitutes an endless cycle of hate and hopelessness which can only be rectified by escaping the shackles of criticisms of others.
Everyone’s in trouble but is there any hope?
Pop culture has kept up with trying to document the effects of domination of electronic devices and the internet on our lives. Shows like Black Mirror provide a harrowing look into what our future would look like if the use of such devices continues to control our lives as it does now. It is important to again remember that this behavior is not something that only younger generations demonstrate, but it is something that older generations are susceptible to as well. This is because the increased use of digital devices tarnishes the most human aspect of empathy-something that can be unlearned as well in the older digital immigrants.
With no system or framework for the dissemination of content among our audiences and the recent trend of media deregulation, the way that people view content now is very different from what used to be the case with traditional media two or three decades ago. Nowadays, empires are built and followers are recruited based off subscriptions and viewership. People especially at a vulnerable age get caught in the race to gain popularity in their social circles through digital means. Platforms are used to broadcast propaganda as well as spread fear and intimidation in audiences and make them feel vulnerable. In the confusion of it all, viewers are left in a space where all the pains and pleasures look the same; differentiating between real and tragic and funny and irrelevant becomes harder and harder as lines continue to get more blurred.
To be human is to ask ourselves constantly about how exactly do we feel? We need to fully identify and recognize our feelings in this age of technology onslaught, to events that may not evoke a response in us. The absence of response comes from the emotional conditioning process that we are unconsciously going through every day. Maybe by taking active steps to regulate and moderate our use of electronic devices, we can hope to reverse the effects of this conditioning. Other steps include recognizing our attitudes towards violence, reflecting on the impact of any sensitive content that we are exposed to and maintaining a tolerable barrier between our real-life interactions and the escape that our cold dark glass screens offer us.
Most importantly, we have to question ourselves what it means to be human. Does it mean to be curious all the time, trying to find all the answers as quickly as possible, or does it mean to be generous to one another, understanding their perspectives and respecting their choices? We need to understand that while curiosity is human, empathy is human too.
