I love a good Bubble....
Everyone loves a good bubble. Who didn't love bubble gum or bubble shooter as a kid? Or maybe now.
Major Lazer loves a Bubble Butttt... and I'm not gonna lie, when that song comes on I cannot help but get one little "bUbBLe BuTt" out myself.
Oooh and the pleasing sensation of popping bubble wrap. pop! pop! pop! pop! pop! YES!
Covid bubbles are all the rage. Some prime time sports players are bubbling together.
But what about a social media bubble? Are you in one? Are they good? They sound kinda fun.
A social media bubble is a combination of the choices you've made and the computer made algorithms that have gotten you there.
When your idiotic friend posts a 3rd meme about politics, which is 3 strikes already, and then one of them makes reference to a politician being Hitler! How unpleasant! It is time to unfriend, right? I mean they said Hitler! So there you go, you unfriend them. POOF! You made a choice to make your bubble a little more cozy. No more H word.
But then in another click or two you are once again forced to see unpleasantness! News stories about the other and their ridiculous views. What about that annoying sponsored add for unsustainable mattresses? The gall! And then there it is, the WORD you hate the most! How dare THEY! Luckily, you're far to healthy to let them draw you in. You sleep on a sustainable mattress for heaven sake! Soo... unclick, delete, waste basket you all go. POOF! POOF! POOF!
Now it's a SAFE place.
Go ahead, Click around...
Look at those friends of yours now. They are geniuses! All of them know not to say the dreaded H name. They, like you, have sustainable mattresses, clearly.
Your feeds have gotten their message too. No more News about the other. Click click... Today you are getting smarter about the world by learning about how oppressive leaders feel about your country. Good to know. Maybe they're on to something. We are less than perfect. That is practically totalitarianism.
ANYwho, a couple more clicks and an add for reusable straws comes up. Very interesting. You've lost your last metal one, you'll need a replacement. The words are pleasant... the glorious sustainable, made in the USA while still providing jobs overseas, all natural materials, by a free trade company that helps you stay connected with friends and family, to discover what's going on in the world, and to share and express what matters to them (okay I stole that last part from a place that rhymes with crazedlook).
Nice bubble. You got a real good lookin bubble over there.
Bubbles
Everyone loves a good bubble.
Bubbles protect us from reaching out and engaging with others that have annoying differing views. They shield us from icky news that makes us mad or sad. They screen us from products that we haven't bought yet and allow us to see more options for snow tires, since you bought those last month. They guard us from people or places that use words that make us feel unsafe. Mama will keep baby cozy and warm. Ooooh baby baby oooooh baby, Of course mama'll help to build the wall... I mean bubble.
References and additional reading:
http://www.pink-floyd-lyrics.com/html/mother-wall-lyrics.html
https://www.thesocialdilemma.com/https://www.nbcnews.com/better/lifestyle/problem-social-media-reinforcement-bubbles-what-you-can-do-about-ncna1063896
https://www.ted.com/talks/eli_pariser_beware_online_filter_bubbles?language=en
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MobfYnRRpys&list=FL4NQIMBDd-0oyUuMZM0Uz-Q&index=107
https://www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org/HealthU/2020/08/26/how-to-create-a-covid-bubble-and-why-you-should-consider-one/
https://www.digitalnewsreport.org/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0747563218303650
https://www.nbcnews.com/better/lifestyle/9-tips-talking-people-you-disagree-ncna1059326?icid=related
