The phrase that once referred to literally unplugging a life support machine has become synonymous with aborting a program. We pull the plug on business plans, campaigns, trips and other endeavors. The conclusion is always the same. Some idea that once held great potential is no longer viable. We grab the cord and in one swift motion the venture is sent to its inevitable death. Always a sad occasion, we console ourselves with the reality that this once promising spark, must be snuffed. There was no real potential left. We did what we had to. We pulled the plug.
We are more plugged in than ever before. Before the availability of electricity to the masses, the phrase wouldn’t even make sense. But now we plug in our phones, our homes, our cars and unfortunately ourselves. Yes, you and I are as plugged in as the coffee pot on your counter! If you care to argue the point, leave your phone for a few days or hours and watch from an “out of body” experience as your body slowly wilts away.
We have developed an unhealthy addiction to attention while feeding the same habit in all of those in our circle. We ignore those in the room to find out what people we barely know are doing in rooms far away, while they escape their reality to another room. We post for attention and immediate gratification. We get so caught up in other’s airbrushed dreams that we forget to chase ours.
To compound this bizarre matrix of social media, we really don’t understand who the real villains are. We “like” all the pages that align with our political and religious views. Then the algorithms stay up late to cram your little noggin full of articles that tell you exactly what you want to hear. Don’t believe me? Search and read a few articles that prove that bigfoot is real. Watch what happens across all platforms and medias. The demented emperor behind the digital curtain doesn’t care what you believe. He just wants your complete attention, and he is willing to tell you all about how the government has covered up bigfoot for years. The deeper you go, the more your read, the more your views will be reinforced. (If your already getting frequent updates of this sort, we can guess where you stand on ole sasquatch).
We are being sold what we are willing to buy. A basket of tiny kittens might make a cute meme, but it won’t lead to a multi ad story with lots of annoying boxes to click. But murder, racism, conspiracies, riots and plethora of perversions will. One of my conservative news sources served up a story of a raving hateful lunatic with views disturbing detached from reality for 99% of us. I was angered as I briefly considered a rebuttal for such foolishness. Then I moved on as numerous sites over the next few days spewed the same story. “Look at the craziness of the other side” was the perceived headline. About the sixth serving of the same madness, it dawned upon me.
It’s my fault. The voice of one deranged village idiot is being amplified. Someone gave this moron a microphone and all of us turned it up with our attention. Some agreed, most dissented, but we all gave them a voice. Maybe it’s time to pull the plug.
I started looking closely at the decaying tripe masquerading as news. I started blocking, unfollowing, and unfriending. I’m writing from a place with a self-imposed “no phone” zone, so if you’ve posted a pic of your elegant dinner, I may not see it for a while.
There is a profit to be made from dividing us. I see racism highlighted constantly, but almost never see it in person. Even in my little corner of the world, I run into all races and religions weekly. So far, I haven’t said anything racism nor has any such insult been lobbed at me. I hear of horrible schoolteachers, policemen and neighbors, but all the ones I know are good. Maybe we’ve put the spotlight on the worst of us. Let’s change. This world seems to be on a negative trajectory. The chaos is coming faster, stranger and from more places. Maybe it’s time to grab ahold of the power cord that feeds the darkness and pull the plug.
