According to my son, I am a Facebook addict. There are days when I spend many hours scrolling, posting, responding, sharing and offering emoji comments. I do it, in part, because I enjoy social engagement, in part, because I do PR and marketing and promote events, as well as articles I have written. Another reason is to stay informed about the state of the world, sometimes to my benefit, sometimes to my extreme frustration and sometimes despair.
I consider myself fairly knowledgeable about the goings on in this country and others on the planet. My sources are left or center based because I cringe at the thought of intentionally watching Fox News or any other right leaning source. I do catch the network on the bank of televisions at my gym, rolling my eyes and shaking my head at the verbiage on the chyron on the bottom of the screen that is blatantly meant to provoke. NPR, the BBC, CNN, MSNBC, Washington Post, Huffington Post, Politico, Wall Street Journal, Reuters and Forbes are where I turn. If I read something on line that seems like either inadvertent misinformation or intentional disinformation, or outright conspiracy theory I check several sources.
What I read, view or hear on various podcasts is often fodder for my writing. Fresh Air, All Things Considered, 1a, The Pulse, This American Life, Freakonomics Radio, Life Kit, Story Corps, Morning Edition, The Connection, The TED Radio Hour, and Reveal inspire me.
Sometimes what I read has me screaming WTF!? My immediate impulse is to share a pithy response…there, that’ll show ’em! I don’t name call, I don’t focus on appearance, I don’t demean. I point out my observations, asking pointed questions meant to give anyone who cares to read it, some food for thought. If I am to be honest, my intention is to change minds and people’s votes or signal boost ideas that I believe in. Because I have some filters, I am able to delay gratification and consider why I want to say certain things. If I know that it will become an hours long dialogue with a respondent, I hesitate. When someone’s response to my posts come from those whose beliefs are polar opposite mine, I feel a sense of glee when volleying back, sometimes using their own logic to address what they have said. Sometimes they give up in exasperation before I can. It has the feel of a competitive sport at times.
I know that some folks post to incite chaos. I am not shy about visiting their profile pages to get a stronger sense of what they stand for so I know how to position myself. People can be outright mean and snarky, belittling, and just this side of threatening so as not to be censored by the powers that be. Some people hide beyond their keyboard in an attempt to be anonymous, some get a thrill out of trolling and stirring up enmity.
Sometimes I get a self satisfied smirk on my face when I land a response that silences the pot stirrer (the Yiddish word is kochleffel and was referenced in a tribute to Norman Lear when Rob Reiner spoke of him endearingly during the Emmys.) Sometimes I get a self satisfied grin when I realize that I have spared myself time, energy and angst when I scroll on by.
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This Post is republished on Medium.
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