sensationalism of and at scale

sensationalism of scale. media exposure & experience is growing louder these days, or is it that we've grown more sensitive to shrill noises? after all it is election time. everyone is trying to one up each other, pull each other down. talking about politics, most of you aren't active in the game, are you? if you were, this media frenzy wouldn't faze you, cuz you're already entrenched in it.

information is disinformation

but for the average citizen, it's that time of the year when they wake up to loud voices, blaming each other for system failures. that's when people express their frustration through voting. but with the media madness, democracy gets twisted & tangled in information or disinformation.

to sway your voting brethren, just share those videos from your side. if you're on the other side, share that. the goal: convince people to agree with your beliefs. got data? facts? reports? articles? sure - but emotional connections are stronger than data-based ones. if you didn't believe this because you're 'educated', check your heart rate when sharing information you think is vital and correct for others to believe in as well.

it's the mob & herd mentality we humans love; gathering in packs & playing together. if hate, anger, aggression, angst, frustration is bringing us together - why not?

what scale do you play at?

the real question is about scale though. people want info at the highest level of office, data across the country, performance at top scale activity.
people want to study stats at the scale of the nation, 1.4 billion people. but what's happening at your street corner? in your community? your locality? your little cubhole where you stay? it's easy to scream murder at politicians parties at the highest level of office. omg! billions are affected, trillions are being siphoned, stolen, and robbed from the people. help!

catch your breath

let's turn the scale down a notch. are you aware of corruption at your ward level, council level? discrepancies in your community budget? are you actively observing who's functioning as per their duties and who's being lackadaisical? who's utilizing powers for themselves rather than sharing with the people?

if you're not and didn't care before (all year long), why care now? if you don't care at the scale of your own circle of concern and influence, why care about the country or world? why care about killings halfway across the world when you aren't aware of crime statistics in your own locality?

nobody's asking you to curb compassion or enthusiasm for altruism. but why skip levels? why skip your own space with greater opportunity and capability to influence decisions and change?

roll up your sleeves

the answer is simple: it's easy. no need to get out, take action or do anything inconvenient.

no need to muster courage to walk up to the garbage guy (or his supervisor at the local office) across the street and ask why he isn't doing his job as expected or caring for the hygiene of the community. people lack courage to play at local levels; it's easy to play global because you're far removed from the situation. it makes you feel powerful that you're playing at such a large scale when you're really impotent to even play at the level of your own street.

online social media rants have no consequences and they don't really make an immediate difference in life today (for better or worse). likewise with the elections swinging this way or that for the majority of people. you'll go about your day, get your basic amenities. sure, there might be a fledgling difference this way or that, but life goes on. neither your livelihood nor your life is really threatened.

but folks sure love to rabble & scream murder online. social media's the place to bark loud but not bite, right? well, who says there's a problem? if there is one, it's about perspective & scale.

gtfo + play

you wanna make a difference? play at the local level. get your skin in the game. roll up your sleeves, walk out & engage. talk to people, ask questions. get involved with those in power locally. share your sorrows, air grievances, offer help. regardless of who's in power. don't play petty, play for all without bias.

sharing videos & stirring emotions is addictive, but it won't bring change. you'll just raise your blood pressure & spread frustration. if you have the capability & inclination to gather strength & resources, you better have a game plan. first, do you have the courage?

clean your streets, bring a friend or even the whole neighborhood. do something for yourself & others. if you think you got it in you, don't just share info online – play the game of power!

politics is power, and casting your vote isn't nearly enough. get out there and make real change where it counts: locally. that's how you'll see the world transform around you.

your vote, screaming loudly, sharing info, etc is not what shifts power from one end to another, but what changes occur at the grassroots level.

if you're an educated, media-privileged youth and want action, show us your skin in the game. got bite or just bark? you probably don't care cuz it's inconvenient. life is not as easy as sharing reels and forwarding posts.

but the bubble you're living in sure makes it feel so. easy & convenient to share numbers and charts, right? play status games, gain social cred and portray yourself warrior for justice. educated individual screaming for a better world. wow. kudos. amazing. more power to you, young one. but what will you do with power, when you're worth nothing more than a single vote 🗳️ when you don't want to actually get out and play?