This column represents the thoughts and opinions of Jason Hennington. This is NOT the opinion of the Taylor Press.
What is social media?
According to the Oxford dictionary, social media includes websites and applications enabling users to create and share content or to participate in social networking.
In other words, social media offers platforms to share information, photos and keep in touch. Right?
Recently, I’ve seen social-media outlets used as a way to finagle perceptions and opinions.
A good example is what happened with a proposed, private get-together between Samsung and Immanuel Lutheran Church after word got out on social media.
The meeting was scheduled as a discussion involving company officials and church members. The church is located close to the site where Samsung is building, and many congregants have questions about how that construction will affect the view, traffic patterns and so on.
However, the session was canceled a few hours before it took place once word spread like wildfire across digital platforms, leaving many with the erroneous impression the gathering was an open forum.
This was not a public meeting. I believe if Samsung was going to have an open meeting, the company would have contacted us here at the paper. History shows Samsung has always promoted its public meetings and events through the proper channels, including the newspaper.
Since this discussion was not shared with the Taylor Press or other public channels, it was a private gathering. Samsung officials later confirmed this for me.
In this case, like so many others, social media without a credible source proved inaccurate.
There are people who rail against the growth that is coming to Taylor, and they are entitled to their views, but using this situation to sway or push your opinion on others is not what social media is for. So, I guess it’s a social-media injustice.
Information typically shared on social media is public information, unless it is in a controlled group or on a private page.
When a public post attacks a person or a group, it opens the door for conversations that can be detrimental to the person who posted the comment or the person or group they attack. The hunter then becomes the hunted.
Good conversations with some disagreements are healthy. However, when emotions get involved, the tide changes. From there, the discourse becomes negative and can hurt the credibility or tarnish the hard work the person making the post might otherwise be known for.
As I have said in the past, social media is not for everyone, and not everyone knows how to use it. On the other hand, it seems there are plenty of folks skilled at employing social media to manipulate public opinion and benefit by attracting like-minded supporters. It’s kind of like bellowing in an echo chamber. I understand the game and how to play it. But
I understand the game and how to play it. But is it worth it at someone else’s expense? Is there a chance it could backfire and cost you everything you worked for?
That’s not my question to answer. And if it was, I wouldn’t do it on social media.
I’m going to get off my soapbox now and watch the end of the NBA season before the playin tournament begins. The tournament where the Spurs are playing, and the Lakers are not!
“Everyone’s like sheep on social media; like, one person starts making noise, and everyone’s like, ‘Hey, yeah!’ and then you got a whole bunch of people making noise at you.”
• Earl Sweatshirt
