Sifting through the mountains for information that we come across each day in search of the truth can be a tiresome slog, making an easier, more simplified conclusion sound enticing. In fact, our world is constructed in a way that makes that makes falling for these “single stories” easier than ever. Social media is one such medium that makes us more susceptible to the lures of a single perspective. When we think of social media, it conjures an image of grand interconnectivity on an almost incomprehensible global scale. Apps like Twitter, Instagram and even Facebook allow us to connect with others across the world. Those separated by continents, who would have never met or interacted in the absence of such technology, can get in touch from the comfort of their own homes. It would seem that this effortless connectivity would serve as a conduit for the expansion of perspectives, learning from others that have wildly different experiences would certainly provide a thrust for this expansion. Paradoxically, the presence of these tools seems to allow users to sink further into the maw of their toxic beliefs, clutching onto their ignorance like a child clings to their blanket—because it is more comfortable.
I too, am guilty of seeking this comfort. There are people I used to follow on these platforms that I have since chosen to remove from my social media sphere, due to a frustration with their misguided perspective. A friend that I was close with in elementary school recently went on a rant on twitter, exclaiming that the investigation into Trump’s ties with Russia was a “politically charged witch hunt.” Instead of trying to challenge this person’s perspective–and my own—by engaging him in conversation, I decided to do what was more comfortable; I blocked him. I can’t be the only one that defers the opportunity of discussion in favor of the simpler option. This ability to shy away from dissenting opinions that social media affords us, allows us to build environments devoid of controversy. Even though these environments provide us with a feeling of safety and validation in our views, a lack of controversy can be dangerous. In Brian Arao and Kirsti Clemens’ essay, From Safe to Brave Spaces, Arao and Clemens argue that “authentic learning about social justice often requires…risk, difficulty and controversy” (139). These attributes that we try so hard to remove from our social media experience are vital to our learning experience. By immersing ourselves in such an environment, we are building walls around us that shield us from the whole story.
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