I watched the 2006 film “Idiocracy” again for the umpteenth time last week. (Note: it’s not a suitable flick for those who are sensitive to crass, bawdy humor. Consider yourselves warned.)
Raunchy humor aside, it’s a horrifying depiction of what happens to humanity when they allow themselves to be dumbed down over successive generations, losing interest in and respect for education and science and basic facts and being lulled into complacency by foolish entertainment and sloppy consumerism while the world collapses into a literal trash heap.
When I watched it back in 2007 or 2008, I didn’t anticipate it becoming an eerily accurate prediction of the near future. It’s hard now not to see the correlations to current events. Interestingly, social media was just barely beginning to emerge on the scene when Idiocracy was released. Perhaps that’s what accelerated the timeline.
Social media is making us lazy. It’s easier to post something or ask a question on a message board than it is to Google the information for yourself. I often wonder if the people whose questions about “how’s the road to ____” or “is such-and-so open today” go unanswered eventually locate the information for themselves or if they just sit in their houses, waiting for someone to respond.
Social media is making everything less valuable. Photos, poetry, quotes, insightful debates, interesting facts… all scrolled past in a few seconds. In the same way having 400 of something makes it less valuable than having only one, social media has devalued factual information, art, and social connection.
And for all the people freaking out about people who work from home not “putting in a full day’s work,” a 2023 study determined employees were spending an average of 2.5 hours per day on social media platforms while in the office. I’d venture to guess that number is far higher for some folks whose social media rants continue round-the-clock. (The only people I’ve ever met who post that often on social media are people with untreated mental disorders, but that’s just an anecdotal personal observation, not evidence.)
Social media is making us mean, rude, petty and misanthropic. Angry typing into a text box doesn’t resolve anger and resentment, it just feeds them. The anger builds and builds with each successive comment and reply. Where does all that rage go when it finally explodes? Probably onto someone you live with or near, the easiest and least deserving targets.
And social media is designed to be addictive. (Preaching to the choir, here!) It’s designed to keep you on that platform for as long as possible, and to use whatever tools it has to elicit your continued engagement. Don’t believe me? Try taking your favorite social media platform off your phone for a day or two. The first time you grab your phone while you’re waiting in the car, or waiting for an appointment, or waiting for the microwave to beep, you may find yourself wishing for a 12-step program or a support group for social media addiction. And maybe we need one, sooner rather than later.