Social media offers hope of achieving higher online social status without having to succeed financially in a winner-take-most economy. I’ve often addressed the decline of social mobility and the addictive nature of social media, and recently I’ve entertained the crazy notion that the two dynamics are related. Why Is Social Media So Toxic? I have long held that the decline of social mobility–broad-based opportunities to get ahead financially and socially–is part of a larger dynamic I call social depression: the social decay resulting from economic stagnation and the decline of social mobility and financial security. America’s Social Depression Is Accelerating Japan offers a real-world 29-year lab experiment in the
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Social media offers hope of achieving higher online social status without having to succeed financially in a winner-take-most economy or having any of the conventional attributes of becoming famous: physical beauty, extraordinary talent, etc. These attributes are of course helpful in attracting a social media following, but thet are not essential.
As a result, everyone wonders “how did so-and-so get hundreds of thousands of followers?” The answer varies, of course: a viral video, a high level of marketing moxie, an engaging style, charismatic presence on camera, a knack for something others admire, etc. If we understand social media as a new and accessible way to improve our unremarkable social status, its tremendous grip becomes less of a mystery. Of related interest: Addictions: Social Media & Mobile Phones Fall From Grace November 24, 2017 What’s Behind the Erosion of Civil Society? November 2, 2018 This essay was drawn from Musings Report 13. The Musings Reports are emailed weekly to major contributors, subscribers and patrons. |
Time Spent with Digital Media, 2008-2015 |
My Interview with Mark Jeftovic: Pathfinding Our Destiny (43 minutes)My new book is The Adventures of the Consulting Philosopher: The Disappearance of Drake. For more, please visit the book's website.
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