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Editorial: Overpowering 280 characters
Op-Ed · November 16, 2017
Twitter now allows us to punch in up to 280 characters, up from 140.
And, of course, the American people are applauding the opportunity to squeeze into their tweets much more good will and kindness.
Right?
OK, maybe not, since social media as a whole seems more like a place to briefly join in a fight, and step away when one gets snark fatigue.
However, while not a whole lot of folks joined in for prayer and reflection at the cold and drizzly Oct. 29 community gathering at Village Green, we think they may be on to something.
One might yawn at the “one people, one community” notion the West Branch Area Religious Council focused on, but the candle-lighting ceremony reminded us that there are problems bigger than ourselves which deserve our attention.
And action — more action than 280 characters of sarcasm and insults and finger-pointing.
As a newspaper, we value venues where people can discuss ideas, make cogent arguments and become polarized on issues. Yet polarization in the sense of two sharply contrasting opinions, not what happened through social media where incivility reigns.
But WBARC’s event reminded us that we all have different resources at our disposal. WBARC drew about 20 people to the gazebo. Yep, they met in person, in a public park. It’s a resource.
Social media allows us to express our opinions with little expense and little difficulty. Cheap and easy is why so many people use it. Social media tries to use algorithms to give greater attention to posts with more “Likes” or comments, although evidence is growing that those who control Twitter, Google, YouTube, Facebook, etc. have their own biases, too.
Big surprise since social media does not operate from a fixed point of reference, or a set of standards for behavior. They’re making this up as they go along. Oh, they like their power and they’re attempting to use it, but their lack of a strong social code — one proven through practice, not louder voices — make them easy to undermine.
So what did we do before social media? Answering that question may not only remind us of other viable resources for affecting change.
Hands, eyes, feet, ears, mouths and a brain. A car, paper and pen, a home, tools in the basement to help build, food in the refrigerator to help feed, clothes in the closet to help warm someone, machines to wash clothes and dishes and mow grass and clear snow for someone else. And skills and knowledge and experience and wisdom and understanding and an imagination ...
Ahh … perhaps it’s just us. Those folks who gathered at dusk at the center of the Village Green, representing young and old, wrapped in cozy fall jackets glowing from soft candlelight, talking about “forgiveness, grace and mercy” and “justice and peace for those in need” — how far can they really go?
It probably depends on who wields their resources with purpose and intention and conviction. Then they can accomplish more than someone banking on the power of 280 characters.
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