Society is being desensitized by the media and now more specifically social media

Today I wanted to discuss something a bit more serious than coffee. I heard about Amanda Todd through the video update of a young girl on the social media platform Keek. I joined Keek to create short positive videos related to my blog Fête du Juliet.Its tagline is “Because Life Should Be Celebrated”. I firmly believe this to be true.

Now back to the video, the girl questioned who Amanda Todd was and then remarked that no one should become famous on Facebook for drinking bleach. “Just don’t make no sense to me.”

No one should become famous on Facebook for drinking bleach

That thirty-six second video was proof that I was indeed right when I argued with my Social Psychology professor that society is being desensitized by the media and now more specifically social media.

I’m sure you all are familiar with the movie Heathers in which the 1986 Times Magazine article “Behavior: Could Suicide Be Contagious?” is used as inspiration for both murder and suicide.

Teen suicide has become entertaining

A movie like that couldn’t be made today only because of the fact that back then one’s social circle was much smaller and deeply influential. Now one’s circle is larger and superficially influential.

You like One Direction? Oh so do I!

I’m not taking it out on just the teens, look at those of us in our 20s. I remember the beginning of Occupy Wall Street, they were discussing how they would rally everyone the next day while munching on Papaya dogs. I was so excited to make a change. But the reality was a big disappointment. But interesting enough because of social and traditional media people saw it as some serious shit. I was in Athens, discussing politics with a brother and sister who owned a local cafe. They told me that they were impressed with Occupy Wall Street and that they are glad that Americans were united with them  in The Struggle.

That’s when their cousin walked in with a black eye that he received from protesting. This was very different form my experience that my American peers had. I remember seeing a girl drop her iPhone before being taken away in handcuffs and the police officer picking it up, dusting off and putting it in the pocket of her cute lil Madewell jacket. Um home girl did not look like she was struggling.

Before I and you forget the point that I’m trying to make is that I am afraid for our future. Or atleast I was afraid for it. I honestly reconsidered having children until I received my weekly newsletter from Marie Forleo. Not only is he Oprah’s new bff but this woman can seriously read minds. Her fingers are firmly placed on the pulse of society.

Today she published an interview with a young girl named Olivia-Leigh. The video was to promote the fact that you can follow your dreams at any age. But I saw it as an example ( and hope) that you can extract positive information from your cluttered Twitter feed.

Olivia-Leigh is twelve years old and a few years younger than Amanda. For some reason I think they resemble each other. I know my friends are thinking okay Juliet not all white people look alike. But that’s not what I meant. They have the look that every girl in her early teens has in photos. I would show you my pre-teen pics but I burned them all. But what is that look? A mixture of hope, fear and innocence?

But Olivia-Leigh’ s innocence was not lost. She was able to find light and good influences on the internet and dear Amanda was met with darkness.

How does this happen? Amanda was about Olivia’s age when she made the mistake of exposing herself. Many of her peers feel that she brought it on herself. But how long should one pay for their mistakes?  I’m happy that they aren’t so deeply affected that they will copy her actions. But their apathy is just as disturbing.

Hopefully there are a lot more Olivia-Leighs out there that will balance out all this nastiness that seems to be spreading and taking over the world.

J*

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