The internet, and more importantly, social media and what it was sold as, compared to what it has become.

Australia is about to roll out their legal framework bill to introduce a minimum age of sixteen for usage of social media. Meaning of course, that everyone will have to prove their age by way of I.D to be able to have an account, which I’m sure might just tie in neatly to the digital identification they talk about wanting for everyone. Not just there, but here in the UK too, which we already have for a number of things, but this is apparently just for safety. Exposure to social media is bad for kids they say, now they can see the effect of two decades of it on people.

But, as they aren’t really interested in safety in the normal sense, we know something else is afoot. Yet, the talk about the online world many spend their time engaging in, is that it isn’t how it appears. What does these days? But that its numbers are bulked up by bots, cloned accounts, corporations and agendas, rather than actual people sharing what they would naturally and developing within that. Because there is no normal or naturally when it comes to the internet, not anymore. And I wonder if there ever was, because algorithms have always been in there, and decision makers getting to decide the ‘next big thing’ moves it into place to ‘go viral’ or take the world by storm as they say. Just because they condensed the format from the physical world to fit into the specifications of the virtual world, the overall goal was the same. To capture people’s thoughts and attention, and to steer mentality, industry and Consumerism. And not just of buying things, consumerism covers all the things they would like you to ingest, have, know, think, believe and want. So very much not just physical objects you can purchase or things you can own, because while you are coveting them, something else is coveting you and what you are. And while you consume what you are meant to, it consumes you.

Now we have different algorithms being rolled out, not ones to make you, but to break you instead. To punish and penalise you for using words and phrases someone has deemed offensive and not acceptable, on a platform they encouraged you to be yourself on and say those things. So, they could then use it against you, narcissistic gaslighting at its best. Strange format really though, having a bunch of people together with different intentions, ideals, opinions, ideas, dreams, fears, and motives, just casually being ‘sociable’. Something always seemed a bit off about that, but interesting, never the less. My article, Social, But Not Really, looked at that angle a bit more.

But now it is feeling a bit worn down, a bit past its best and dwindling somewhat. People often get bored of things, or change their outlook, or what they want to spend their time doing, as they should. And do young people feel the overwhelming need to even have social media anymore? We are told yes, but maybe that’s not actually the reality. Same with older folks, many have had their time on those platforms, have grown weary of the drama and stagnant content, of the same format, same arguments, same old same old. Once something has run its course and you feel it’s time for Walking Away, then it’s probably because you should. Recent examples of citizen journalists and media journalists coming under fire and being visited by the establishment for making observations, speculations or having opinions, should be of concern to everyone. Really though what it shows, is that the system is no longer fit for purpose and hasn’t been for some time, well, the purpose of people and sociability. It’s been used now for a different purpose, and possibly the one it was always there for, to monitor and sway public thoughts, opinion and evolution. The Ministry of Monitoring can’t monitor everyone unless we are all under the same umbrella, on the same network and sharing what we think and feel.

And it may be that by putting an age limit on it does a number of things, with an ideal one being all young people are excluded, but want access just with any age restricted materials, it gives it an extra edge of being attractive to those who are not eligible, yet. And all older people register for a digital identity to be able to access that online virtual world where you can engage and ‘socialise’ with other ‘people’. In reality though, it seems it will just fracture it further as many will drop off, will realise it’s not what it says it is, and many will not be interested just as they aren’t now. People change, times change and so must the internet of things, because people adapt and change without even knowing it sometimes. And it maybe that the internet has changed without us even noticing, but sometimes you really can recognise when something is indeed, past its best…

(c) K Wicks