THREAD:
1)

Just saw The Social Dilemma. SO MUCH TO SAY.

Agree with everything said. Have been saying some of these things FOR YEARS.

I believe, for example, that there need to be WARNING labels on activities like social media, the likes of those on cigarette packets.
#SoMeDocs

2) You can scoff at the idea all you want. I’ve been scoffed at for suggesting it.

But remember this?

#medtwitter
#FOAMed
#MEDed

3)

This is bigger than us. It completely affects our

everyday life,
important decisions,
ability to turn off.

& I predict that we will find disturbing changes in our #children’s brains, & detrimental to their future. Already we’re see ’ed #depression/anxiety rates.

4) I also worry about ourselves: civilized humans in a society that had evolved to value

Opinions.
Personal stance.
Discourse, disagreements, resolutions.

What has happened to us?

Example:

We become completely dismissive of ppl in real life, just b/c of their online thoughts

5) What happens if they’ve been misunderstood?

Their message interpreted DIFFERENTLY than had been intended?

What happens if there’s a backstory, or more depth to the one dimension? What if there’s simply more than meets the ?

6) By doing this - by assuming & drawing hasty conclusions - we r potentially MISSING OUT on truly amazing things. On incredible discourse. On breakthroughs!

Because behind a single post, or tweet, or image, could actually exist a truly cool & #innovative idea.. & person!

7) Here’s food for thought: have u (or someone u know) written someone off because of what they said? Bc of a single tweet, for ex?

Or WORSE:

Have you written someone off because SOMEONE ELSE told you to?

Think for a second. & be honest with/urself. U don’t have to tell us.

8) To me, this is the absolute scariest part of today’s world of social media: the ease with which we dismiss; wave someone off.

“Bye, Felicia,” we say. & we don’t look back.

Here’s a thought: before adding YOUR virtual body into that online pileup:

THINK TWICE.
SAY IT NICE.

9) How incredibly enriching would it be, I always consider, to open up our spaces to those we don’t agree with?

To welcome opposing views?
Other experiences?
Other thoughts?

When did shutting others down become so.. in vogue?

10) there’s simply MORE 2 every human than what they say online. We don’t HAVE TO agree. We don’t even have to always align w/influencers we adore. Even THEY r human.

In fact, how SCARY would it be if we agreed on all? How scary would look when we no longer thought 4 ourself?

11) Are we becoming a society of money-see-monkey-do?

And if that’s the case - which I worry that it is - we need more rules & regulations. We need to figure out exactly how to protect ourselves (& ESPECIALLY our young). & who’s leading the pack.

& I mean of ALL sides, people!!

12) Of course, adding these layers of protection could, in actuality, turn into a breach of the very freedoms our ancestors fought for us to have.

SO what is one civilized society to do?

B/c the online world- the ease within - is dictating REAL LIFE.

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

13) This, my friends, is why I have a love-hate relationship w/the online world.

& quite honestly, I’m slowly seeing negative influence creep into #medtwitter world, too.

Slowly, but surely, my MD/DO friends r giving in to the sway. And WE need to do something about it. STAT.

14) I don’t know what that something is. But I do know that it starts from recognizing there’s a problem. & being aware of how each of us contributes to & And then, putting our intelligent minds together to STOP IT from getting worse.

That is all. For now. Would tofrom u.