Has Social Media Turned Us Into Idiots?

Maybe not — but it sure has shortened our attention span

We’ve all heard the rants about social media: it is filled with vitriol, it is all about marketing, only celebrities get major attention, etc. But certainly we can get past what we don’t like there using blocking and muting — even though that is a pain in the ass.

In my humble opinion, vitriol, marketing, and celebs crowding the spotlight are not the issues with social media. Before we gt into my evaluation, let’s understand one thing — social media has replaced all other internet applications for dispensing information — whether it be truth, fiction or elaboration. People rarely visit websites unless they are “news” sites,and they are just social media on an extended scale.

A good deal of this is caused by the fact that people use their phone for internet browsing — especially when they are at work and can’t use their office PC because where one goes and what one is looking at is usually monitored. I won’t get into how sitting at your desk with your cell phone in your lap watching a dog chase a Frisbee is effecting efficiency . . . that’s a whole other story.

People on their phones — social media is perfect for pushing out material. All the “apps” let one quickly see what is going on — little browsing is required. And it carries over to…