First things first – I’ll start with a typical digital-age disclaimer – the first word of the title is an allusion to the ubiquitous content-consumption artifact of the internet. Like it or not, you cannot escape from some form of social media content these days, even more so if you use a smartphone. It’s interesting to see how both messages and the medium have evolved; there has been a marked shift from text to images and videos, and from email to ‘apps’ respectively. For context, I had written an article about chain mails a few years ago which on re-reading now, I felt it was so outdated! In the fast-paced world of technology, nothing is a constant and so it wouldn’t be surprising to see further changes (for example, augmented and virtual reality might become mainstream) to how we consume content going forward (pun not intended!).
There is quite a lot of difference in the nature of content being shared as well. Internet memes are all-pervasive and no longer confined to message boards from where they originated. It is unsurprising to see a meme being circulated within minutes of an event having occurred in the real world. Widespread support for GIF files has enabled the use of animated images as an option apart from still images and videos. It is also not too difficult to generate such content – there are several software programs that can automatically generate memes and GIFs by topic or keyword!
The ability to create and share content instantly and on-the-go has meant that information (and disinformation) can be disseminated rapidly. This has several implications from a societal conditioning standpoint. Gaffes and mistakes can be amplified by the internet to such an extent that reputation can be sullied and character can be defamed in an instant, by anonymous entities. Since fact-checking almost always loses out to impulsive ‘forwarding’, it has become easier to manipulate large swathes of the masses with directed messages. A case in point is the spreading of propaganda; the discourse on the merits of demonetization in India and the benefits of leaving the European Union in the United Kingdom were guided by sentiment rather than by logical analysis (which the proponents of for and against in both these events were guilty of). Worryingly, it is also being alleged that social media manipulation is increasingly being used to engineer the results of elections, with the debate of Russian interference in the USA presidential elections being a prime example.
All that said and done, ‘forwards’ if used in the right way are largely beneficial. A witty comment, a good joke (or even a poor one), a funny image or a creative video can brighten up a dreary day. You can learn new facts about the world that can surprise you, be inspired by motivational messages, and provoke thoughts about the meaning of life with philosophical content. Indeed, I’m often disappointed at the under-utilization of social media to exchange meaningful discussions. For some reason, this medium broadly evokes polarized reactions, with people choosing to slot themselves into two camps – either reacting emotionally or being mostly indifferent! Innocuous comments can quickly degenerate into slander, while others are met with stoic silence. While it is not wholly surprising that other activities in the physical realm can (and sometimes should) take precedence and priority over those in the digital world, there needs to be a semblance of balance and perspective – controversial messaging can be ignored, while exchanging thoughts on interesting subjects can broaden horizons. In any event, one thing is certain – our consumption of content is changing rapidly, and we must evolve to keep pace.