In today’s connected world, society is travelling down a slippery slope when it comes to current issues. In my opinion, there are several reasons for the descent which all lead to slow progress, if any at all. Instead of having a productive conversation about solutions, we are distracted by a variety of things. Social media, blame culture, the two-party system of influence, and time are some of the major culprits. This installment on progress will focus on social media.
Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook have plenty of benefits. They allow you to keep up with family and friends, share and obtain access to quick information, et cetera. Technology is amazing and we should continue to advance it, but the responsibility of how it is used is up to all of us. There are obvious disadvantages though, especially when it comes to current events and issues. A short post with a thousand short comments is not a conversation. Even if it was a conversation, a small number of characters does not allow us to fully understand the topic. We scroll quickly through the posts and may engage with a few of them, either with a simple like or a pithy comment (often non-productive). Quick posts should be conversation starters, not the end all be all. We must do the work to fully understand the topics in which we are interested. But topics are plentiful and who really has time to research topics all day long? Well, we all have 24 hours in a day. So, I should ask, who prioritizes their time by researching topics on the internet all day long? Probably a few, but not many. We end up with more distraction than we realize and spend days, months, or years trying to weave our way through the web of progress.
Speaking of understanding topics, we must be careful to not fall into the partisan (or tribal) trap. To fully understand a topic, it is paramount that we understand all angles of the issue. That means we need to listen to those with whom we disagree. Yes, that means follow people that do not align with your views. We may disagree in total at first, but after understanding others’ viewpoints, we may completely change our mind. Or better yet, we may find a wide variety of new solutions after seeing the whole picture. See this article for further reading on the influence of the two-party system.
And last but certainly not least, be kind and respectful, especially to individuals with whom you disagree. The opposite delays progress, not to mention it is just plain wrong. Being mean or vindictive distracts the participants from the conversation. No progress is made. Bickering ensues. Please, let’s focus on progress and the issues at hand. They need plenty of work and focus if we want to see positive change.
So how can we have a productive conversation?
- Use social media to see what’s happening in the world, but do the work to understand current events and issues
- Focus on understanding topics you are passionate about; stay away from other clutter
- Don’t be a headline reader; read articles
- Better yet, read multiple articles with different stances on the topic – you may change your mind or come up with new solutions
- Be kind
- Be respectful
Let’s get better. We all want progress.