Why are we burying our heads…
To avoid the flood zone?
Hi, all,
After the election, I vowed to bury my head in the sand. That meant no news. No doom scrolling. Ignoring social posts meant to rile you up. I was going on a propaganda blackout. My guess is that many of you made this vow as well.
Why? I was still traumatized by the swirl of discontent from the media spectacle and social media cluster that intensified during COVID-19. The next election, at least for me, the world was a bit more normal. At least quieter. I could deal with that.
However, after this last election, spectacle has tried to suck me back in. Part of it is from the attempt to "flood the zone." According to infamous Steve Bannon, that is the process of giving so much chaotic information to the press and social media that we don't know what is happening behind the scenes. Think Wizard of Oz with flying monkeys lining our yellow brick path. Despite my propaganda blackout, these monkeys clawed back in.
Then, the spectacle started causing real-life issues. Those pesky eggs at $8 in the grocery store were a red flag. The uncertainty about interest rates meant needing a new strategy to deal with debt. The student loan upheaval meant some tough choices. When the doom jumps off the scroll and into your daily life, you can't escape.
Waiting for the other shoe to drop.
It would be easy to go into the weeds of policy and debate, trying to understand choices that don't make sense, maybe not to us or the powers that be. But then I realized it was all a distraction. I realized we weren't in an information bubble anymore.
We are in an engagement trap.
Today, I wrote a meta-commentary to understand why we are stuck in this flood zone. It isn't just an attempt to cover up—it is the attention “they” desire.
If that sounds paranoid, it is because it may be. But crazy doesn't mean you aren't right.
If you get a chance, I would love you to read the article I wrote called "Why do AI Companies Simulate Consciousness?"
I don't want to flood your zone with my humble take, but it might help make sense of today's chaos.
Best,
Melissa
On a more cheerful note, Willa Kate with me as we celebrate my 50th birthday!