It’s finally 2021. Last year was a tough one by any metric, and this year looks to be off to a similar start. We live in an increasingly divided and polarized society. Many of us are discouraged and disheartened by the direction of our country. As we start the new year and reflect on the path forward, I hope that we all can resolve to take steps to heal the rift in America. While there is no single root cause, I believe it is past time to divest ourselves from so-called social media.
We call platforms such as Facebook and Twitter “social media.” What a misnomer. “Antisocial media” would be so much more appropriate. People spend hours every day trading insults with strangers over their computers. We insult our friends and neighbors and spew vitriol online that would never be spoken face to face. We fire off tweets without thinking and lose our jobs and reputations. Children return home from being bullied at school, only to be tormented online. We grow jealous when we see the carefully crafted online lives of our friends and associates. We are increasingly disengaged from meaningful social interaction.
