1 How mass and social media ― and further their unfortunate combination ― exists in its current form is itself a huge problem. Media gives shocking and agitating content priority. It extends the fame of the agitators. It prioritizes tearing Man down over building him up. Harmful content choices aside: Media drowns out ones own thoughts which may be its most damaging effect.
2 With TV's plastered on a wall in every doctors waiting room and a cell phone in every pocket there are a large amount of people that are watching the most disgusting individuals in the world do their disgusting things to humanity. Makes them feel angry, scared, confused, and cornered. Reduces their cognitive function to the most basic of animal instincts. Causes a few to do dumb things in revenge ― often against the wrong people ― catalyzing the erosion of stability and order.
3 Things that people can't change shouldn't be shown or talked about. There used to be a more pronounced hierarchy in place where people knew what they had control over and didn't worry much about what they could not ― it should reintroduced in at least a limited form. With mass-media many feel that they should join these mass mob-like movements to change things that they don't have the tools to solve. Control in life that is fulfilling for all of us exists in our small communities and only a few can it come from doing actions at the macro level. There is so much suffering and pain in the world ― so much hate and violence ― that it's overwhelming for anyone to constantly be bombarded by the worst of it. Especially when there is nothing productive that most of us can or should do.
5 Others alienated with and/or ostracized by society will imitate the worst people that have been advertised to them. The story of a villain is the most compelling alternative path for some. The principle of imitation ― the acknowledgement that people tend to construct their stories from those he is exposed to ― does not exclude stories that have a negative connotation. Most people are not creative in their thinking, will ironically take the alternative road mainstream culture says they should take. Not giving notice to villainous acts and instead pushing redemptive narrative paths for the ostracized to follow back ― or manageable alternative narrative paths where the alienated can find their own place ― is the best way to prevent similar acts in the future. We live in a world of self fulfilling prophecies: If we keep on saying that we are going to hell then we will probably end up there.
6 Mass media has been trending trended towards analysis over synthesis. It has been prioritizing breaking and smashing people apart and down ― throwing the world away ― over trying to build them up or piecing them together albeit how imperfect they are. It's more exciting to watch a great edifice come crashing down than watching it slowly being built up brick-by-brick.
7 Communicating through media takes away time from talking to people in real life where a more grounded view of reality lies, where there is an expectation to respect others, where experimentation with dangerous ideas leaks less, where better feedback can be found. And if some speech can be done through media then it needs more than 280 characters to work with to articulate more than impulsive disapproval or rage. It needs more than what can be contained in a 30 second video clip to be fully formed.
