Frustration with Social media....

So about right now I am thinking this was the worst time to take this class. I know it sounds selfish but I have a strong desire to disconnect and shut the world out. Between the last few months of Covid, all the protest, riots, and race comments to mandated curfews that have now locked us all at home again, to the fact that this is an election year also...I just can't take social media right now. 

I enjoy the social aspects of it that connect me to family and friends and allow me to share pictures and accomplishments and such with those people though. Sometimes we share recommendations and such too. But news, politics, and other things frustrate me when they come across my feed. I guess I like to keep a happy little bubble on my feed. Right now though, there isn't much happiness coming across. 

Don't get me wrong, I have opinions and I have thoughts that could be shared with others (and trust me I think of things I could say each time I read or see something posted), but I don't respond and I don't post. Some may think that my lack of posting or speaking up on the topics speaks louder than me saying something and their thoughts are theirs to keep. For me, I consider every person on my feed and my entire audience and then the consequence of how that post or response may be twisted or shared (by others who may be 'friends' on my feed or 'friends' of others on my feed or to the person I responded to). I consider my career and how that may look to my employer and I consider my husband's employer also. The fact of the matter is, that anyone can twist a comment or a post to make it what they want. The media does it all the time. 

Oddly enough, I talk politics, culture, race, and religion all the time in my geography and history classes. I think though that often in times like these, people forget what they started fighting for and lose sight of the mission. I have seen so many people reference history in their posts and throw out pictures and quotes from riots and protests that took place in history. I saw one today posted from a former student about the Boston Tea Party in reference as to why the looters were destroying property (notice I said looters, not protesters). And I thought to myself that maybe we as teachers (and parents and adults) had failed to teach these kids the reason we learn history in the first place if this is what they are thinking.....while I understand the possible reason behind the post "The historical pedigree of property destruction as a tactic of resistance is long and frequently effective" (as cited in Rolling Stone magazine article ); we teach history in the hopes of learning from our mistakes as to not repeat them. That is the ultimate goal anyway. ( Article as to why they shouldn't  be compared). 

I myself start my school year in geography with the Billy Joel song "We Didn't start the Fire". We discuss the lyrics and the meaning of the song, especially the chorus. Think about it...I know you know the song.  The lyrics are a metaphor so to speak: It's a vicious cycle of 'putting out the fire' of the previous generation who in turn is still having trouble 'putting out the fires' of the generation before them. 

 I have found myself on numerous occasions recently while watching the news and footage of the riots thinking to myself that this felt like deja vu- like I've seen footage like this before and not just in history class. I fear that Americans are not learning from history. We have somehow failed as a nation. Or at least not learned from our past. Our problem is a human problem. It's a respect problem. It's a decency problem. What's right is right and what's wrong is wrong. Plain and simple. 

So, while I really want to shut the social media world out right now, hold my babies close and pray that my husband makes it home safe each shift from work, I will keep trucking through this week because this is a social media class after all. Mistake my lack of posting on the current events for whatever you want, I am not easily offended (and I hope I don't offend anyone). I will continue to fill my feed with my happy little bubble (and anything else requested of this class :)