Social Media Addiction

          Adults, this one is for you.  I KNOW that you like to claim that ONLY minors are addicted to social media and the attention it garners.  BUUUUUTTTTTT, quick question boomers, Gen X'ers & older millennials... why are soooooooo many of you more concerned about your "online persona" and platforms than you are the reality of the world to date? Think that I am exaggerating? Take a walk over the TikTik and peruse those streets.  Visit YouTube and see how the neighborhoods compare.  YOU are losing your minds and souls for followers, endorsements, and CLOUT.  Clout has become the new drug of the century.  It is far more addictive than anything I have seen in ages and its dealer is one's own ego.

     Relationships have been sacrificed for this fix.  Jobs have been abandoned for a "hit".  Children have become neglected roommates in exchange for a greater amount of...wait for it...CLOUT.  Many pay the clout chase no mind and simply follow their favorite creators to the ends of the earth.  Others, who do take note, at times become vocal about it, simply to be chased from social media streets because the called out don't want to face their cyber addiction.  

     The utter desire to "go viral" has society abandoning its humanity, sense, decorum, and empathy.  A video for content clout outweighs real-life needs, consequences, and more.  Creators will push the boundaries of shock value as well as the mental stability of adversaries just to achieves greater followers, views, likes, and shares.  Recently, an alarming number of clout chases have resulted in [negative] real-life scenarios for a variant of individuals across multiple platforms.  The only concern these ultimate clout addicted trolls had, was the numbers they could achieve with their acts.  It NEVER registered with them the lives they put in jeopardy nor the mental and emotional anguish that bestowed upon a person.

     What is even worse are the super fans of the "chasers'.  They encourage every move, every comment, every action.  Nothing has to be based on fact.  Nothing will be challenged or fact-checked. It's the thrill of the drama and the "gotcha moments".  This is most notably visible when their fave goes after someone they don't like or harbor jealousy for.  The seats for the show sell out faster than Jay-Z & Beyonce at the first of the month.  The spectators will further boost the dealer [ego] causing the craving for clout to increase and harder to fight.  

     Social media is the new ratchet reality tv, where the best online drag is rewarded with the highest ratings.  If someone is jailed, has a mental breakdown, is assaulted, gets stalked, etc due to this chase...very few cares.  As long as they are following the current top tier of terror, they feel safely entertained by it all.  Yet, the mortgage holders, decision-makers, the parents, the mentors of the world blame ONLY the woes of teenagehood on social media.  WHY? It is easier to tell oneself that it is an issue for those younger than to admit that it is a full-blown, toxic addiction for those older and [presumed] wiser.

     Therefore, the next time you want to criticize a teen challenge online, remember who they are learning the "formula" for online clout from.  It is NOT their peers.  It is their caretakers that they have been [repeatedly] told to look to for successful guidance.