Thumbs Up

by Lee Deltoro

Which is more important: The earthquake that recently devastated Nepal, leaving thousands dead and countless more traumatized, or the trailer for San Andreas, the new earthquake thriller starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson? Any decent-hearted adult knows it's Nepal. But which has come up in conversation with my college-educated friends over the past week? Yes, San Andreas. So for someone who is looking to engage with us, The Rock is a better bet. And I am positive that for a large number of us, there are apt comparisons. Does this mean we are all soulless sociopaths? No, we have just adjusted our value system to the world around us. 

With each new cultural phenomenon comes a change in value systems. We are in the midst of such a change today. Tidal waves of ideas and images are constantly reshaping the keystones of culture. With these quickly eroding, where do we find guidance? Previously, each of us had a relatively consistent set of examples by which we judged ourselves and others within our immediate circle. Today, our cultural ecosystem has transformed from a savannah to a rainforest. There are more expressions of individual life experiences entering your space than ever before. Through online interaction, we bear witness to a kaleidoscope of characters, imperceptible to generations before us. 



Life was much easier to compartmentalize whenever you could keep your distance. Us versus Them. But the digital experience has brought us closer, sometimes uncomfortably so. It is so much harder to create cognitive dissonance when the struggles of others are literally in the palm of our hands. Social media has increased our cultural density. We know so much, we see so much. There is more to consider in twenty minutes of Twitter than in a whole week of the evening news. 

Early in our social development, we are regularly rewarded or punished for our behavior. That is how we learn what is acceptable. Same rules apply for our online behavior, and it does not take long for most of us to pick up on the pattern. One way we sort out what's what is simply based on attention. The more attention other people give a person or topic, the more valuable we perceive it to be. We internalize that value and use that scale to judge other topics and people. Some of us may believe we are not participating in this way because we do not post “thirst traps” or “click bait”. However, if we can recognize certain types of posts as such, we have internalized the scale. Your eclectic post of street art at sunset, or your grumpy “kids today...” rant is still just an expression of what you have been conditioned to deem valuable. Still, how many times will I allow myself to watch 90s Disney Songs before I can list 5 Democratic presidential candidates? 

Generally, I loathe all internet comparisons to a frontier. However, in terms of interpersonal interaction, we are in new territory and often we are searching for a road map. Fitness brands, clubs, and clothing lines compensate insta-celebrities for promoting their product. Most of their posts are driven purely by clicks. But what about the rest of us? What do we gain from 37 retweets? Deciding which windows into your life to open is now a part of our daily lives. Should I let the “world” know exactly how I feel today, or just leave a cryptic Marilyn Monroe quote? 

The little thumbs up sign may not be everything we need, but it is positive reinforcement. It’s a mile marker signaling that you are on the correct path. I believe that is the driving force behind much of the insta-life lies that have become prevalent. People are looking for the tangible evidence of a life worth living. “I tweet, therefore I am.” The inverse is also true. The same quips and comments considered too benign to a room of friends or at least like-minded individuals could ignite a firestorm online, often deservedly so. That is how we shed light on biases, bigotry and simple blindness to an issue. That is the double-edged sword of social media: it magnifies the mundane. 

When a universe expands, everything in it has a new context. Our words hold a different weight. I may be alone, but I feel like we are in the early stages of everything. Not infancy, but more like a 14-year-old who grew six inches over the summer and has no idea how to use his arms and elbows in concert. The cultural firmament is constantly shifting beneath our feet and we are flailing, grasping for anything to hold on to. Even if that thing happens to be San Andreas.