This is going to be a short dispatch, I thought about this in the shower really quickly today.
A lot of people are saying with their whole chest that Elon’s takeover of Twitter is necessary to maintain its essence as a free speech platform. I simply think this is far too simple and political of a reasoning. This has far more to do with a reactionary sensation, better observed through understanding media’s effects on us than a basic faux constitutional argument.
What I believe that people are experiencing, when they feel this need to defend freedom of speech online, is a reality of consumptions effects and their need for an identifiable self.
I remember when the AirPods came out, there was a lot of clamor that these objects would help connect us to our environment and each other. That it would act as a layer two of connection. Millions of dollars poured into this thesis, and countless companies / projects popped-up and shuttered.
What really happened is we recognized the exact opposite. These objects were even more extreme versions of the basic headphones. Why? Because of ease + critical progression of noise-cancellation.
I remember one friend commented, “I feel my shoulders lowered two inches as I walk around the city now.”
It was a complete blocking out of my environment. Not a letting in. A tune out, and tap into whatever my interior desired… despite what the exterior may ask of me.
This battle ground of the interior vs experiencing the asks of the exterior is incredibly important.
I got back from Paris a couple of days ago, and we were discussing the nature of crowds. Both in the context of raves/dj sets and in the horrific events that recently happened in Seoul.
During a crowd crush, the density of people become nearly like fluid dynamics. You don’t have the ability to control your motion, panic occurs, and sometimes tragedy occurs. There is a transmission of energy from all sides. But more dangerously, and (I believe) in the case of Seoul → pressure from a mile back, traveled to others experiencing the brutality of the force.
The internet is very much like this.
I open the feed to experience the pressure from those miles away. I cannot escape. I am helplessly addicted to the sense of touch I receive here. As hundreds of millions are.
But just like the AirPods, this is a highly consumption based activity. We take in miles of pressure of opinions. We bring this into our interior. It shapes our psyche daily. It dolphins from the back of our brain to “our own thoughts”. Though it may combat our expressed values. For those chronically online, the TikTok comment section joke of “letting your intrusive thoughts win” may come to mind here.
This is a great distillation of the frustration I believe many are feeling. How freedom of speech is really a plea to have the interior and expression of their own mind, free of the pressure and intrusive thoughts that feel planted from online interaction.
I think this is what plays into the entire new online masculine wave of “free thinking”. The Andrew Tate’s and such. Eat meat, fight the programming, free your mind. You know the spiel.
But I genuinely do sympathize. It’s substituting an extreme physical reaction out of a lack of understanding the effects of media. And character’s like Tate know that without his ability to be digitally consumed in the same manner, he’ll have no ability to work over the same mind.
The programming is just the flavor of which way your interior will bend. The reality is that you will bend. Just like your belly will fill. You are consuming, and the medium will not suddenly stop its effects because you plead.
Our interiors are changing. And without a better education of the effects of media on our interior + a lack of technology that helps us understand and engage with the exterior, we will continually tumble in confusion and frustration.
I don’t necessarily believe in the “true self”, but I do believe that our own psyche can get incredibly crowded by others. And there are plenty of ways to combat that to bring about peace.
Unplug. Twitter isn’t going anywhere. 99.9% of you are not being censored. Read a book. Take a walk without your phone or music. Say hello to someone in line. Pray.
/// dall-e generation of “playstation one video game characters walking through a lush green forrest” ///
I don’t do edits really, so excuse typos and things that don’t make sense.
Thanks so much for giving me your attention. I hope it was worth it, if not… unsubscribing will not hurt my feelings, and will give you back time you literally cannot have back.
Much love.
Live in the light