Getting into the Social Media World: A Form of Adventure Full with Threats to Human’s Moral Capacity

Getting into the Social Media World : A Form of Adventure Full with Threats to Human ’ s Moral Capacity Author :   Wit coin Miner       ...

Getting into the Social Media World: A Form of Adventure Full with Threats to Human’s Moral Capacity

Author:  Witcoin Miner                                                            

Keywords: #social media, #millennial, #mindfulness, #addiction, #selfie, #posie      

Length:  1559  words   

Posted on: 1st January 2020

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          Some reliable researches showed that a millennial between the ages of eighteen and thirty-six spends an average of eighteen hours a day consuming media, with approximately five hours of that time engaged in social media and peer-created content.

          This fact is easily proven to be true elsewhere even inside a monastic compounds where people living in or coming to are likely seen as more conservative, laid back, not up-to-the-minute, they are often spot to be lost in a scroll-and-click universe where they open up the capacity to ingest endless thoughts, photos, and virtual lives of friends and acquaintances, posting their own, and wait for the ‘Likes’ to roll in. The scenario presents the normal symptom of IT addiction infected in present digital society. In the digital world, there might be the sense of loneliness, disconnection, and sadness waiting for people in the silence of phonelessness, and they are scared to face it. This is because human beings, if they are being honest, are not always happy or confident. Buddhist teaching calls it ‘inherent suffering’. Mundane people are insecure and crave connection and belonging. This is why people turn to the internet in the first place.

          Moreover, the worst waiting within the virtual cyber realm where people engaging in only publicize the rosy moments, the filtered photos, and the happy news, it creates an assuming reality in which everyone seems to be doing better than they actually are; it is particularly easy to cause people’s comparing mind to think they are the only ones having a hard time, even though it is not new information showing that people only share their best 5% online. It is therefore reasonable to suspect that increased social media use leads to depression and low self-esteem. The internet can also be a scary place in some sense. ‘Focus’ is the cure for the ‘digital-addicted disease’. When consuming media, act as consuming food, and like food, some media is wholesome and some is unhealthy, such as news, information, computer games that pollute compassion and peace in mind.

          To keep mental sanity online, use the media for tasks, do not aimlessly surf without purpose or it will suck the life out of us. People have to control, ‘not too much’, ‘look for what are needed. PBS! Beautiful programs. Animals! NASA! Share with friends science and culture. Next time to hit the web, have particular questions in mind, go to the computer, find them, and turn it off before it all becomes too automatic, too addictive, and too much. Going on a media diet such as try a one-day media fast, delete apps or cancel subscriptions that are eating our time, use a website-blocking app, help to keep the head clear in the modern media landscape because the great power of social media that make people heavily addicted to is because everyone can read about the experience of other people they would never be able to talk to directly. Moreover, users can create their own New(s) Feeds, writing Contents, photo Posting and opening Pages based on who they choose to connect with and what sources they choose to follow.

          At present, in Dhammakaya Temple’s open grounds, monastery-stay-ins and monastery-goers are alike seen busy themselves posting or uploading selfies or posies right after having shot their favorite moments with cell phone. There may be a variety of motives behind why they post or upload self‑images or images on social media, and interestingly noticing how those photos perceived appears to follow a more consistent pattern. Survey records on people attitudes towards seeing people posing selfies and posies found users who post relatively more selfies are rated as having lower self-esteem, disliking adventure, more lonely, less outgoing, disliking trying new things, less successful, and less likeable.

          The survey also states that posters who post selfies are far more likely to be perceived negatively than posters who post posies. However, the surveyor did not provide details whether people react similarly negative to selfies posted by celebrities if they would also be seen as lonely and less likable, or if people would perceive them differently because they wield a high level of prestige in society. The findings of the mentioned survey are just a small piece of information; but there may be important everyone to keep in mind before making the next post. Be conscious of each Facebook feed as it is in fact created for others and we all have to exist online together.

          Further interesting point is that sometimes, people including some senior baby-boomer monks in the Temple here tend to talk about social media and digital technology by focusing too much on the negativities the digital world brought about. They are concerned about having been hoaxes and misinformation online. ‘Fake news’ has become a hot topic. The fact is the internet means more access to information and also more misinformation.

          In going online, if every poster and feeder pay attention to what they are doing in the same way that they pay attention to what they are doing in the physical world, keeping an open and, at the same time, critical mind to other viewpoints, conducting oneself as a more-enlightened social media guru, using social media to promote thoughtful and compassionate discussion, it will make the world be more connected, be more open and by and large that is a very good thing because it means that more voices are heard.

          Through digital platforms, truth and fiction have gotten easier shared, at the same time, it highlights the importance to reflect and exercise Buddhist teaching about mindfulness in the way relating to each other on social media. Many spiritual teachers invite people particularly millennials to bring some mindfulness into their digital lives.

          The first step to take is the mindful technology consumption which means to pause and recognize the power these devices have over users, to check in with oneself before reaching for them, and to build in pauses, breaks, and emotional rehab before becoming addicted. Practicing mindfulness does not mean being forbidden from watching cable, using IT devices, going social and so on. The magic of mindfulness in the 'in-between' moments of life is that practitioners do not need any special gear, quiet space, or complex instructions to practice it but bring meditation to meet wherever they are, whatever they are doing, right in the middle of their crazy lives.

          The next step is mindful to the notion of ‘Right speech’. Practicing ‘Right posting’. The Buddha, who lived around the 5th century BC, suggested that people practice ‘Right speech’. The usual formula for deciding whether something is right to say is whether it is true, whether it is necessary, and whether it is kind. This is all the more importance in the age of fake news. Bear in mind, ‘if do not have anything nice to post, do not post anything at all’. The concept is a lot easier said than done because it means people have a lot less to share. However, it does not mean people cannot share or say anything negative; actually, there is room for straight shooting, so long as it is truthful. Literally, people can point things out, but not with the intention to hurt someone.

          For those who are not familiar with verbal restraint in habit, first, try to get away with loose lips, yes, it is not easy at the beginning as there is going to be some resistance. But it is the way to create a pure realm before starting hard work and practice skillfulness in action, bearing in mind that ‘transformation stirs shit up’. Gradually, they will see there are all kinds of ways to speak truthfully without threatening others or maligning creative efforts; then the next-time hit to the internet, the notion of ‘Right speech’ under the context of ‘Speak no evil, Tweet no evil’ will naturally manifest in mind.

          The last step to take is to remember that the Buddhist teaching on the fundamental truths of existence, namely the Four noble truths, the Three characteristic, etc., will never ever change as a result of technology. There will not be a panacea for curing life sufferings to be found in the next app, but that does not mean technology is not useful. In fact, it has made the world a better place in countless ways and built opportunities for people to get access to Dhamma teachings as often as they would love to, for instance, in the Dhammakaya Temple, many followers have busy lives and maybe unable to get to the Temple, with technology, it enables DMC-turned-FB Live GBN Station to livestream a Dhamma talk to the audience around the globe. It is a real potential to bring Temple’s members together and to foster connection without disruption.

          To be sure, society will not collapse as a result of scary things social media technologies brought to people because all the present existing generations have the same risks and share the same concerns so we can cohesively manage them. It is all about a balance between embracing new ways of addressing the human mental condition and still remembering old, timeless wisdom given to us by the Religion
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