What would you change about modern society?

Where should I start 🤔? I think the biggest thing I would change is how people treat and label themselves politically or socially. I think social media has been a big role on how we treat each other, because you can say whatever you want behind a screen and a keyboard and not face any consequence and that is just abuse of a useful tool for business owners, writers, artists and musicians that are trying to get their work shown to people around the world. If you’re going to criticize anything online, at least be constructive with your criticism. Have a conversation over the criticism and not just recklessly attack. That’s what animals do!

That’s what I feel todays society lacks. The ability to have a civil conversation with people who have opposing views than you do. Naturally, I am very introverted. it’s just who I am but not closed-minded up to the point where I am going to bite your head off for not seeing the way things I do. I’ve said this for years, educate me, don’t belittle. Who wants to be friends with people who think and believe the same things as you do? Sounds pretty closed-minded and boring to me because that sounds like a form of stroking your own ego. Hanging out with people who only tell you what you want to hear and not what you need to hear are not your friends. You need friends that tell you the truth and call you out when nessacery because if you don’t, there is no honesty and no trust.

As I get older, I start to understand this concept, even more so with all the bull shit outrage on social media as it acts like a shepherd to the herd. The reason for that is because people only follow things that they only want to hear, see, and read. Most people can not grasp the concept of having their ideas challenged. A big part of that is how we, as a people, act on social media. What we post, who or what we exploit. What is the latest outrageous video that will go viral because someone didn’t recognize their pronouns. This is the kind of toxicity that is warping the minds of young people and even people my age that are in their late 30s believe that this kind of behavior is okay because they believe that is the only to prove their point by getting angry in front of an audience and openly humiliate your opponent. I don’t agree with that at all. It’s childish, closed minded and it gives a false sense of social superiority and lack of intelligence by getting upset in the first place. Like a screaming child in the store having a tantrum because the child did not get what it wants. As Chris Rock would put it “selective outrage.”

I know the idea of being friends with someone who has different views and opinions than you is unfathomable nowadays, but it is possible. I’ll give you an example of 2 famous people who have polar opposite views on politics, and politics is a big trigger nowadays, but I remember a time when it didn’t used to and I listen to a lot of conversational podcasts because you can’t get in depth with someone with a 10 or 15 minute interview. You need at least a couple of hours to understand where someone is coming from and state their case. Bill Mahr has a podcast outside of his political show called Club Random. He had a guest on last year who had total polar opposites about how they think politically. That guest was Kid Rock. Kid Rock, as you know, is a die-hard Trumper, but they did not let that get in the way of having a civil conversation because Bill was a fan of Kid Rocks music. They acknowledge throughout the episode that they don’t agree on everything but listen carefully, ladies and gentlemen, that’s okay! Shocker, right?!🤣😂.

Long story short, it was a great episode and hysterical conversation. They discuss some politics in areas where they agree and don’t agree, but that did not stop them from having a complete bro-down throughout the episode talking about their lives, things they did, and experiences they had. Talking shit jokingly and laughing every single second in the whole 1 hour and 37 minutes of that episode, and I was laughing with them.

In closing, that is what I would change about today’s society. Have those uncomfortable conversations. Talk to people who you would normally wouldn’t so you can understand their views on different issues. Our attention spans have been reduced to 30 seconds of tiktok clips. You’re not going to understand shit in a 30-second clip. Sorry to tell ya. I think we need to gain back the longevity of our attention spans and start learning in areas that were shut off due to much outrage. Here is what I started doing for myself since the beginning of March. I have 2 phones. One for my personal life and one for work. I removed my social media platforms from those phones except for Jetpack because that’s where I get my reading and writing done. I leave social media at home on a separate tablet or on my computer because I want to be present in reality. Be present for my friend, my family, and excel at my job. Be present in events I go to like concerts and other cool events. Excel in other areas in life without distractions because that’s all it is. One big distraction to flood your brain with a reality that is not YOUR REALITY IN FRONT OF YOU.

Before I go, I want everyone to ask themselves this question. When you leave the house every day to start your day, do you personally witness all the outrage that people are upset about whatever the issue may be like how it is on social media? If the answer is no, then you’re already ahead of the game. Keep enjoying your life!

Reaper out!