CHICK CHAT: Social Media Keeps People Talking, But Who’s Listening?

Freedom of Speech gave us the right to be heard, but social media has turned that right into a sense of devious entitlement. The attitude no longer is, I have to be heard, it’s I will be heard. Beneath the superficial, social media has provided the masses with a microphone and a stage to spew their criticism-which has unleashed an air of arrogance to our First Amendment.

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Scroll down your timeline or newsfeed and you’ll see a bevy of redundant posts. Everything from the fitness fanatic’s about-to-work-out post to the holier-than-thou religious received-that-good-word post is all over social media.

Social media raised the bar with the phrase “everyone’s a critic.” Having a soapbox moment was a burden only friends and family had to bear. They were the victims of one’s latest woes or whatever pseudo epiphany one waxed poetic about. But social media changed all that. Everyone’s assessment, evaluation, judgment, appraisal or analysis now becomes public knowledge.

In October 2012, Facebook announced the site had reached one billion active monthly users. (That number’s increased to 1.2 billion as of February 2013) That’s the same amount of people that occupied the earth in 1804. (Crazy, right?) Currently, human population hovers around seven billion. So about 17% of folks ON EARTH use FB.

US News reported in May 2012, people typically spend an average of 30% to 40% of their day, talking about themselves. That number doubles to 80% on social media.

Neurologists have found the region of the brain associated with talking about oneself is also responsible for thrills, sex, food, money and drug addiction. So choppin’ it up about how swagged out you think you are, or why in your “humble” opinion strawberry jelly deserves as much critical acclaim as grape jelly, triggers the same levers in your brain as having sex does. So duh! Of course it would make sense to talk about you all day! It’s turning you on!

But with everyone having so much to say, it’s hard to stand out.

Unintentionally, Twitter, Facebook and all other social media have become a global town hall meeting, with everyone tapping the microphone at the same time to see if it’s on in hopes they’ll be heard. The only verification that what you said was received by the masses or agreed upon is with the infamous LIKE button, or as I like to call it “The Digital Enabler.”

Everyone has an opinion and everyone thinks his or her opinion is better than the rest. With everyone online slinging his or her latest 9-5 and 6-10 hustles, it seems as if the best way to be heard in 2013 is to…well keep quiet.

Beyoncé Knowles, arguably the most talented entertainer in the world and boasts a Twitter following of seven million and has tweeted less than 10 times! Whenever she uses any of her 140 characters, it’s heavily retweeted like gospel and don’t even get me started on her Instagram.

Maybe this is just me on my own soapbox tired of hearing everyone on his or her own soapbox. Maybe I’m criticizing everyone for criticizing everyone else in hopes my critique will be applauded as the most thorough and well thought out to earn a bevy of digital enablers myself! Maybe this story is really one big Jedi trick.

But the real question is, with everyone talking, who’s listening?

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