Many Complain About Social Networking Sites, Reality TV, and The Media
It seems every generation tends to question the next one coming up, wondering if they will grow up and carry on the American Tradition, or plunder all we’ve built to make this the greatest nation in human history. Indeed, I can remember my own parents complaining, and my grandparents as well. Today, I am a little cynical when it comes to all the garbage on TV, the neo-liberal borderline socialist media, and all these social media websites.
The other day, I was discussing this with an acquaintance, and he was alarmed at the degradation of society, and what it was becoming, and really who wouldn’t be alarmed by some of this non-sense we see on our TVs, heck, I’ve turned it off, except for 15 minutes a day checking the stock market on CNBC, I haven’t watched it all week, and you know what, I haven’t missed a thing, it’s the same old sound and fury signifying nothing and quite frankly it’s dummying down America. Deny it? See, you can’t you agree with me don’t you?
Not only is it dummying us down, but it seems to be warping our minds, adjusting our opinions, and invading our thoughts, turning us into parroting politically correct comatose citizens. May as well join the Borg, it’s a reality TV show, oh you didn’t hear, all you have to do is win, and by then your mind is gone anyway?
However what say you to the argument presented by Jerry Springer to the question of; “why are you degrading society?” and he simply stated; “I am bringing people what they want, if they don’t want it, don’t watch, but everyone does, look at our ratings.” I suppose, Larry Flynn of Penthouse tried to claim the same. So, is it society leading art, or exploitation of society?
Now then, with regards to the nonsensical Social Online Networking websites, need for personal validation due to low self-esteem, one could say that the entrepreneurs in that case are satisfying a need, as would any other entrepreneur in any other venue in exchange for revenue, and these social networks offer something for free, solving a need of Maslow’s hierarchy in trade for data exploitation of the user, up until the point the user cries foul.
Is there a problem with society in the first place which allows for this to happen? Surely, it starts with the political correctness in our schools, colleges, and attempt to make everyone equal, so humans naturally want to “stand out” and to be different, an individual, thus, participate to show they are worthy and different, “different just like everyone else” of course, in that they all have something missing in their lives, something they are trying to replace using these social networks, thus, they are being exploited.
Yes, it is a problem with society, and it is unfortunate that folks are willing to carry on in that way. Is it right for the entrepreneurs to do that? Well, it is unethical for them to trick the users and then exploit their data without telling them, but then again, if a user posts private information online for the world to see, due to careless use of privacy filters, then who is really to blame.