What I found intriguing while studying the articles listed below in my References and researching my own articles, is that the problem is not the form of media. The problem is the character of the people using it. I do not believe that the media form shapes us as humans. I believe that we as humans shape the media. I do not think any form of media (old or new) is bad, but the people using it could see improvement.
Take, for example the article by Amnesty International, on how toxic Twitter has become for women. The article actually states that Twitter has been used for much good, but any time they speak of any effect Twitter has on the world whether good or bad, it always comes back down to the basis of the human morality invested in this media form. If we can improve humanity as a whole and train new generations to respect each other and see each other as equals, it will not matter what form of media we use, because the underlying issue of the contributing writers’ morals will be solved.
Likewise, Clive Thompson’s article about Twitter points out that Twitter as a form of media has increased the awareness we hold of each other. It encourages us to learn the tiny details of someone’s life and turn our minds to our friends instead of simply absorbing ourselves in our own lives. Don’t get me wrong: Twitter and social media as a whole leave plenty of room for self-obsession, but overall I still think the main effect is individual increased awareness of other human lives existing around us.
Clive Owens’ example of YouTube trends encouraging users to post subliminal messages about the current state of humanity adds to my theory that social media really does increase awareness of others. Many times I have seen a video that encouraged me or spurred me to action, as it was intended to do when the creator published that video to their channel. However, YouTube has still been abused and used for devious purposes, like trying to sway votes in presidential elections ( for example, the YouTube video “How YouTube’s Algorithm Distorts Reality” from Guardian News). Again, the issue does not lie in the writing media being used, but in the people using it. If YouTube (or any media form) were truly awful, then there would be no positive side or “pros and cons” list to discuss. There would be simply nothing good to say about this form of media.
Additionally, an article from The American Psychological Association titled “Alone in the Crowd” states that social media connects us to each other more than ever, yet creates a shelter from awkward social interactions that occur in person. Instead of engaging the person in front of us and trying to elicit some sort of relationship, we simply retreat to burying our faces in our phones and ignore the uncomfortable situation in front of us. Again, I do not believe this is an issue that is caused by social media, but that we as humans have found a refuge for our natural shyness and, as a result, our innate miniscule antisocial tendencies have simply gotten worse.
We have a wonderful gift in all forms of media. We just have to train ourselves to properly use them to promote the well being of humanity in general.
References
Price, Michael. “Alone in the Crowd.” https://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/06/social-networking
Amnesty International. “Toxic Twitter: A Toxic Place for Women.” https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/research/2018/03/online-violence-against-women-chapter-1/
Thompson, Clive. “How YouTube Changes The Way We Think.” https://www.wired.com/2008/12/st-thompson-15/
Thompson, Clive. “How Twitter Creates A Social Sixth Sense.” https://www.wired.com/2007/06/st-thompson-4/
Guardian News. “How YouTube’s Algorithm Distorts Reality.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTxUetlqWmU
Clarity with Clara 