May 11th - VI

VI 

Welcome everyone to week 6. We are well into the month of May, and it feels like 2025 is moving at a rapid pace. What I want to talk about today is distraction. This thought came to me in the context of social media, and how the distraction of social media not only takes our attention away from important issues at hand, but shapes a large percentage of our worldly perspective. Obviously this depends on the extent of your social media use, but in a number of ways, the content we consume models our view of the world around us. Some might say that this is the point of these various outlets; to distract us from the significant questions at hand, and allow an algorithm to feed us mind numbing short form content that we endlessly consume. Although somewhat pessimistic, this tactic traces back to the Roman Empire’s idea of bread and circuses. For those unfamiliar, the Roman Empire in the late first century postured the notion that if they merely gave their citizens “bread and circuses,” those in power could go about their business without a word of objection from those they governed. There may have been, or even be, some truth to that; but there is a reason the language of the world in the 21st century is not Latin. 

On a personal level, the overconsumption of social media takes us away from our most authentic selves. We are observant and deep thinking creatures, and an algorithm feeding us what we want to see and hear, gives us a very narrow, unyielding view of our world. The thought crossed my mind; the less I consume TikTok and Instagram Reels, the more I become the most authentic version of myself. The more I distance myself from these platforms, the more autonomy I have over the influential voices that configure my world view. 

Regardless of your relationship to these platforms, I think more and more, that it is of the utmost importance to exercise sovereignty over the voices that control our everyday thoughts. Do not get lost in the circuses, and do not let distraction become your teacher. Eliminate distraction, and let a chorus of well versed intelligence be your guide. 

See you next week, 

An Aspiring Young Man