Antisocial Media

Is it me, or is social media a complete shitshow?

Substack AI image.

Anyone in the UK with a TV has probably watched “Adolescence” over the past few weeks. I won’t give you any spoilers, but it’s a glimpse into what our little angels may watch or get up to on their phones while you think they are playing the latest games.

It’s thought-provoking, but I didn’t really find it too shocking.

If you use social media, you probably get a nice range of cleverly designed misery and propaganda delivered to your screen daily, too.

The daily torrent

You see, as a vegan who works with animals, I’m subjected to all kinds of hateful and upsetting imagery every day.

From the latest round of algorithm boosted vegan posts, where we get treated to the viewing of all manner of torture and nastiness, to the trolls underneath who then find it acceptable to call vegans names and tell us about how much they love their steak and bacon (as if we have never heard such a revelation before).

I’m not sure they realise that doing so is actually illegal, but if they did, they probably wouldn’t care anyway.

Then there are post after post of people who use atrocious equipment while teaching their dogs; The whole thing is rather upsetting for an animal welfare advocate like moi.

From there, you get some casual misogyny, ableism, racism and homophobia on the political posts, which, no matter how often you report it, is never violating the website’s policies. (Despite my being barred every five seconds for sharing innocent things like jokingly telling my friend on Facebook that I felt like cutting my restless legs off).

Then, the keyboard warriors who believe they have the right to say the meanest and worst things about stuff they know nothing about.

Trial by media

The latest ones I keep getting thrown at me are about Michael Jackson.

There was a film made a couple of years ago featuring two men, that accused him with lots of graphic detail, which was then picked apart and proven to be a bunch of BS (one even went so far as to accuse him of abuse in a train station that had not even been built yet…)

The man was vilified because some people took advantage of him through a court system which at that time was set up so he had to pay off a civil trial, to get to a criminal trial and prove his innocence (at which point those who had taken his money fled without wanting to see him tried as a criminal.) The papers reported this as him paying off “the victim.” The victim later apologised to Michael and publically said he was forced by his father to do it. In the second court case, Michael fought and won easily, unanimously being found not guilty on all counts. The prosecution was caught on camera trying to manufacture evidence, and even the judge was said to be flabbergasted at the ridiculous nature of some of the claims.

Everyone with half a brain cell knows that even though he was absolutely an eccentric, he was not a pedophile. The poor man’s life was ruined by people being money grabbing arseholes.

Money grabbing arseholes who have also made it more difficult for REAL victims of abuse by a real perpetrator to come forward. They should be in court themselves, in my opinion.

Frankly, the whole thing upsets me more than I should let it. Even if someone is not a fan, the injustice of it all should make any normal person’s blood boil.

But, back to the subject at hand.

Dissatisfaction in life

I wasn’t shocked at Adolescence because it’s evident we now live in a society where people can be nasty to each other all day, every day, with no come back.

People are increasingly dissatisfied with their lot in life; like most dissatisfied people, they seek to elevate themselves.

Some people try to elevate themselves with education and self-betterment.

Others try to stand on the backs of others, trampling, bullying, bitching, and putting other people down to make themselves feel above those people whose backs they stand on.

Where better to do it than on social media?

Bullies

The trouble is, in the old days, bullies were at work or at school. You could come home and get away from them. Now, nowhere is safe, and the negativity is 24 hours a day, right there on your cellular. Not only can you see it, but everyone else can see it too, including your friends, family, and kids, which adds more embarrassment and shame to the mix.

The bullies themselves have their own set of issues, which are leading them to act like pillocks.

If it weren’t for a couple of my dog-related jobs relying on my presence there, I’d give up social media altogether. I always come away from it feeling sad, deflated and tired.

The thing meant to bring us all closer together has driven us all further apart and made us all miserable.

It’s no wonder we are all having mental health issues.