The Social Media Prism

"The deeper source of our addiction to social media, I've concluded, is that it makes it so much easier for us to do what is all too human: perform different identities, observe how other people react, and update our presentation of self to make us feel like we belong."

It's upon those words that we dive into Chris Bail's Breaking the Social Prism, a book graciously sent to me by @princetonupress.

First off let me say that this book was excellent. A deeper look into polarization on social media platforms, misperceptions we may have about how to solve it, and fundamentally what drives it. His use of the prism analogy is fitting as he notes we look to social media as a mirror and reflection of who we and others are but in fact, are looking through a prism that distorts our sense of self and each other.

We see hostility out there but often this stems out of people who may feel they have very little control over their own lives. Polarization grows much like a cult as status within your set group grows. Extremism slowly becomes normalized because it garners the most attention while also creating an illusion that the opposing party is in fact the one becoming more extreme as they respond. This creates a platform where the discussion is run by two extreme sides with moderates disengaging due to past experiences of being attacked or simply being exhausted of where we are.

Interestingly enough, recent studies show that those who held extreme views became even more polarized after being exposed to ideas of the opposite side. The idea that we just need to educate ourselves seems to run counter to the evidence.

The reality is that moderates must come back to the table and ultimately be willing to fight for their own beliefs. Bail notes that making people aware of misperceptions has a strong depolarizing effect despite it feeling like you are always being attacked in the middle.

"Moderate people need to decide which issues are so important to them that they won't allow extremists to speak on their behalf."

If you've read other books on social media I'd highly recommend this one as a follow-up. Some excellent studies and new evidence to help simmer things down!

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If you are looking to go down the rabbit hole check out Roger McNamee's Zucked and if you are ready to break up with your phone altogether then I'd suggest Catherine Price's How to Break Up With Your Phone.

Rote

Do you ever spend any time reflecting on the things that you do during the day or in pursuit of a hobby? Perhaps throwing in a 'Why' every once and a while?

Ryan Holiday's The Daily Stoic reminded me of this very question as I once again start over on the daily reads:

"Find out what you do out of rote memory or routine. Ask yourself: Is this really the best way to do it? Know why you do what you do - do it for the right reasons."

This time around I'm not simply reading though. I've been through these books before with highlights and sticky notes. Now I'm taking these ideas and distilling them into my own thoughts and really thinking about the questions asked. Humble the Poet's book is also one that I've delayed getting through and yet find interesting connections to ideas also playing out in my head as I pick it up again. "Don't bind yourself by the expectations of others; it's not their story to write."

Perhaps the creeping feeling of drudgery is the sense that my routine needs a shuffle and I appreciate everyone's comments from yesterday as I wander down this path.

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A reminder to others to take a few minutes to step back and think about the 'Why' in your what. Why you are doing the things you are doing? Hopefully, you can connect that Why to something deep within you. Not the expectations of others but your own story.

Unsponsored

"When we do our work without regard for a third party, simply to serve the reader, the customer or the story, we're creating something that's unsponsored." - Seth Godin

A simple reminder that brings us back to our inner voice in a space awash with comparison and the need to feel validated. As I've wandered through the Bhagavad Gita, and Stephen Cope's companion piece, The Great Work of Your Life, my mind has been stirred up by these very thoughts: "You have a right to your actions, but never to your actions' fruits."

It's a question that persists as Books & Beers approaches the five-year mark. A guidepost, and perhaps finish line, I'd given to myself when starting out on this path. See what happens; enjoy the process. Along the way we find ourselves meandering off the path, grasping at things (followers, likes, comments, ad infinitum), and suddenly emerging out of the trees to find our way once again.

It is books like these that raise questions to guide us and help to remind us why we started out in the first place. The landscape has changed a lot in five years and seems to follow the path of least resistance. Simplicity in thought and effort at the expense of creativity and individuality.

How are you feeling these days about your own goals on this platform and the landscape you see before you?

I think for me, to continue to connect to the muse, as Steven Pressfield would call it, I need to shake the dust off and see what happens. If that doesn't work I can always try something new!