Responding To Your 'Inner Voice'

There is a growing sense of urgency in society to acknowledge, debate, and express progressively more polarizing positions on the impact of technology on minds of all ages. Research has shown that the prevalence of social media has lead to more widespread use of misinformation, and exploitation of the vulnerable, in both fiscal and educational facets. The masses are spoonfed writing posted at a pace like nothing Plato's Socrates could have ever imagined to be possible. Perhaps there was merit to the idea of writing feebling the mind. And perhaps the importance being progressively placed more on speed of production, rather than quality of product, makes this statement more and more true as time passes over us.

Attention spans are shortening. Moodiness in children is growing. The planet is burning. SUCRALOSE CAUSES CANCER. Buy my get rick quick class so you can live big for a low low price of $400. Your best friend from middle school is pregnant. With so much information being thrown at us all at once, it is no wonder that more and more people find themselves passively experiencing their life, rather than taking agency. Instead of having consistently accurate sources of information to rely on, we must approach writing with caution, "fact check," and those without the time to do so, will be at risk of developing ill informed rationale, which later could inform regrettable to even life threatening decisions (vaccinate your children!)

In this situation, apathy is so much easier than advocacy. Cynicism gifts an immediate avenue for dismissal of worry, and suppression of dread. It allows daily functioning to forego emotion, and therefore be enacted to anti-social perfection. But this approach, and relying on writing over oral tradition alone, is missing something important; feeling like your existence, your voice... matters.

To matter is not simply to be heard. It is to be valued. To be loved, missed, understood. The oral tradition is crucial not because of the need for many friends, but the few who truly know and accept who you are. In navigating the modern writing technology we must do our best to assimilate that love within ourselves, directed at our own inner dialogue. We must bring ourselves to question, and take the time to explore every angle of an issue we find interesting. Because we owe it to ourselves to grow with the most well informed decision making we can muster for ourselves, and to spread that knowledge with the vigor that those who love you would have in taking your defense.