Twenty-Five Years since 1999

 This past week, I gave a workshop looking back on the past 25 years, analyzing how things have changed since Holland Brook School opened in 1999. It boggles my mind to think about that pre-9/11 world, that era when lockdown drills were just being put in place due to the newness of Columbine, that time period when we weren't sure whether to use AskJeeves, Yahoo, Excite or the new thing: Google. There was no social media yet, no YouTube, and, for me at least, no cellphone.

Rather than waking up to classical music on the now-extinct WQXR (96.3) or the news on the now extinct 880AM, I wake up to check the news online, or to see if my friends are okay on social media.

In some ways, it's wonderful. I can find literature and videos in any language, just by typing in a few words. I can be part of the lives of friends who are far away, and see photos and videos of my nieces and nephews on a daily basis. And... Covid... oh my...what would we have done without it!

For me, in another way, it has been very useful. I am more comfortable being genuine in writing, without the onus of social anxiety and time struggles. I can share my thoughts and insights, and learn about what is going on in your lives-- knowing better what questions to ask when we see each other in person. This has helped my personal growth.

In some ways, the technology has also helped with our safety. I can't imagine taking road trips without knowing where I'd be sleeping, or if there were vacancies. How on earth did my parents travel across the states (and Europe)-- repeatedly-- with up to four kids and no cell phones? I'm afraid to travel without my mobile now, lest there be an accident. It's also useful for researching quick solutions to small medical situations (hot compresses or ice?) and for alternate directions with the GPS when there is a lot of traffic.

However, our world has also changed for the worse with this technology. We all know about fake news, and how that is dividing our society. Rather than seeing what we have in common, we see our differences. We learn different truths from different media channels. Some of us shout those truths in our own echo chambers.

There's also the issue of what I call "fake sunshine." Sometimes we assume friends are happier than they really are, due to the trend of posting the good moments. People also post socially lifting posts in order to appear closer to folks than they really are, or to show allegiances. I look a lot busier than I really am because I post about my big projects, and I don't want folks to feel insecure when they see these musical or advocacy adventures. I write to inspire others to join in, and to keep myself accountable. My life allows for me to do a lot of outward "stuff", where other people have more home-based commitments. We each walk our own paths, and don't really know one another beyond the headlines.

I'm sad about how social media has become a political and socio-political sphere for mistruths and distortions both in the macro (nation/world) and in the micro (civic society). I'm sad that we are not consistently a discerning society, and that choices made hastily affect sales and greater scale finances and eventually policies. I'm sad that most people don't regularly "peel the onion" of social media-- and that it is impossible for any one of us to do so all the time.

There were always walls between people and between peoples. There were always liars and thieves, haters and hateds. But now we know more and the scale of it all is so much more immense. I don't think we can make those walls tumble down.

I've been considering shifting my social media platforms, but more than that, I've been considering taking stock of how my social media world has shifted and continues to shift.

There's no great punchline here...just an awareness, and the opening of a conversation.