What if we aren’t dumber than we’ve ever been? What if it just feels that way because everyone has a loud voice?

I had to give up social media because it made me feel like I was in a noisy room while sitting at my desk, drinking coffee. I wasn’t being entertained. I wasn’t even being educated. I was just waiting. I was waiting in a crowded room for my moment. It sucked when I realized that. I quit shortly after. I tried a couple of times since, only to delete everything the same day. It’s like when you quit smoking for good, smoking all the sudden sucks! I don’t know what happens. But that is my story with social media. Just sucks now. Can’t help it. 

The voices in the noisy room do not bother me with what they’re saying. Im seldomly interested in what they’re talking about, but I don’t find the topics themselves bothersome. It’s simply the QUANTITY of voices. It very much feels like trying to watch a tv show, read a book, and carry on a conversation at the same time. However, when I’m able to get to know individual voices, I end up liking them and making friends. I just don’t like them all together.

I think it’s because we all sound stupid out of context. We only get so much room to make a statement on these social media deals and half of us are just looking for a laugh. Comedy is more subjective than music is. So a lot of it is dumb failed attempts at humor. That is a bad way to judge people. 

We might be nervous, or not know how things work. Or misguidedly/wrongfully anticipate what to say. There might be unspoken rules or customs we’re unfamiliar with. These are not qualities of a bad person. Just a not very social one. I find myself remembering judging folks based on how they talked to “everyone,” or “no one,” (depending how you look at it), I was wrong to do that. Way off the mark. I didn’t know. I feel a lot of regret about that.

I don’t think most folks are stupid. I just think they can often sound stupid online. They’re jumbled together with garbage, different topics, notifications, pictures.. it’s not exactly a “friendly” environment to speak your thoughts. Of course, there’s trepidation in the wording of the thought itself. I mean, gotta’ keep the algorithm in mind.