Final Blog Post

 

Technology is forever changing and improving. It helps us build objects, houses, equipment, cars, etc. It allows us to better understand our planet, our solar system, and the species and elements that inhabit them. It has allowed us to contact each other even when we are on opposite sides of the planet. Technology is truly remarkable! Things that were high in human labor are now as easy as pressing a button and letting the machine do the work. The recent rise of social media has taken the world by storm. We can see what our friends are up to in real-time, keep up with our favorite celebrities, and even learn a thing or two about topics that interest us, but like all other things, with light comes darkness.

 

I personally have an account on Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok. Just about everyone I know has multiple social media accounts and typically bounces back and forth between them. While many of us love to say that it “keeps us in touch with our friends” we all know that we tend to endlessly swipe over rather useless posts that don’t add much value to our lives at all. I don’t think that it’s terrible to want to have accounts on these platforms because, depending on how you use them, you can get a lot out of it (especially if you are using it for marketing). That being said I believe the problems begin when we start using social media to fill in gaps of boredom and use it as a “break” from life. 

 

There are very few people, including myself, who give social media an appropriate amount of attention. Many of us get stuck in the black hole of the never-ending swipe causing a 10-minute catchup to turn into 30+ minutes of zoned-out scrolling. This addiction most definitely concerns me for a variety of reasons. In terms of global use, the spread of misinformation has torn people apart. If we can’t agree on what is true, then we’ve lost the ability to effectively problem-solve. I also seriously worry about the effects social media has had on younger generations and their mental health. Depression, anxiety, suicide, and drug use are skyrocketing, and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that this spike has occurred at the same time that social media sites rose to the top of app stores. The truth is it’s incredibly easy to feel alone when the “friends” you spend the most time with are digital profiles. It’s also exceedingly easy for people to use it as a weapon against others, whether it's cyberbullying, revenge porn, or any other terrible use of the web, people can be cruel, and it can ruin people’s lives, even your own. Your digital footprint is no joke and yet young kids aren’t taught just how important it is that you are careful about what you post on your accounts. One bad move can cost you a potential job or even get you in trouble with the law. 

 

I also recognize that most often, users aren’t getting a whole lot of intellectual stimulation from using social media. We spend all this time scrolling, but it doesn’t really have any profound impact on our problem-solving skills or our ability to complete certain tasks. Don’t get me wrong, the ability to search anything up from the palm of our hands is incredible, but with speed can also come pages and pages of false information. So, not only are we not improving our intelligence, but we are also potentially damaging our ability to effectively assess data and information before believing it. 

 

I have personally taken some steps to slowly decrease my use of social media and I think they are great steps that others can take as well. The first step I’ve taken is reading more. I’ve always loved reading and I love just about any genre. This has made a huge impact because not only is it a calming activity, but it also stimulates my brain. I can learn about history, economics, finance, marketing, and different philosophies all while giving myself a break from the stress that comes with everyday life. I’ve also started to follow accounts that are more educational so that when I am using social media, I am absorbing at least some valuable information. For example, I’ve followed people who specialize in cooking, cleaning, photography/videography, music, pottery, art, and even book recommendations.  

 

Again, technology is amazing, but it casts a large shadow, and it seems to be growing darker. Social media provides us communication when we aren’t right next to each other, but it also makes it easier for us to display emotions that we wouldn’t otherwise show. We become fixated on the things that don’t matter. It’s not a lost cause, but like all other dependencies, steps have to be taken to limit our intake of it. The never-ending swipe is hard to fight, but I believe with time we can get better about using technology in ways that stimulate growth instead of tearing us down 

Intellectuals and Society

 

    In the summer of 2019, I reintroduced myself to reading. As a kid, one of my favorite things to do was spend my nights reading a science fiction novel before bed, but once I hit high school, I fell out of that routine. After graduating and moving for the second time, I wanted to spend my summer doing more than just watch Netflix, play tennis and swim with my brothers, I wanted to stimulate my mind again. Lucky for me, my father is an extremely avid reader and as I’ve grown up, I’ve become increasingly interested in the topics he reads about. One day, I asked him what his most impactful book was, to which he answered, “most definitely Intellectuals and Society by Thomas Sowell.” I had never heard of Thomas Sowell before and I’ll be honest I wasn’t originally so drawn in by the title, but as soon as my father explained the general-purpose, I put it at the top of my list. 

           

Intellectuals and Society was published in 2009 and yet it’s not a book you hear of very often, if at all. Born in 1930 in North Carolina, Sowell is an American economist, social theorist, and senior fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution. While Sowell has written a variety of books including Intellectuals and Race, Discrimination and Disparities, and Wealth, Poverty, and Politics: An International Perspective, Intellectuals and Society is often seen as one of, if not his best, piece of literature. So, what is this book about and why should it be a mandatory read for college students?

            

Sowell begins his book with an explanation of what is stated as an intellectual. He breaks down the difference between intelligence and intellect as well as defines an “intellectual” as an occupational category in which people’s occupations deal primarily with ideas- writers, academics, and the like. This is an extremely important distinction because we are talking about people whose job begins and ends with an idea. They aren’t actually the ones to carry out the process of carrying that idea into action. Once this concept is thoroughly examined Sowell spends the rest of the book exploring the relationships between the intelligentsia and major aspects of society. These topics include “Intellectuals and Economics”, “Intellectuals and the Law”, “Intellectuals and War” etc. 

            

Sometimes it’s the truths that are the hardest to hear that are the most life-changing. This is exactly how I felt reading every shocking and frustrating scenario that Sowell breaks down. I felt lied to and betrayed by the very people we elect and look up to for guidance and help in our most vulnerable times as a community and nation. This is exactly why every college student should read this book because I now know that we should NEVER look up to people whose sole purpose revolves around the basic human function of developing ideas. They are masters at using words that make reality seem either harsher or better than it is, but they never put their own muscle into putting their policies into action. Instead, they take the credit for ideas that so often tend to harm the majority over a select few. 

            

We are indeed the next up-and-coming generation, but we won’t even come close to making a difference unless we stop praising the people we elect for their mundane ideas and start demanding that they do something about it. We need to educate ourselves so that we may see through the lies that consist of, “I’m here to help you” or the outdated propaganda that things are free without at price. Thomas Sowell will make you question a lot of things and it will make you uncomfortable, but then again, that’s how you know you’re growing. So, give it a read or two because you might just learn something about the intelligentsia and their many flaws. 

Where to purchase: 

Amazon